The Children and Families Group is made up of BASW England members with a special interest in this area of social work. Members of the group are responsible for leading BASW England's position on Children and Families Social Work and assisting in the development of policy, practice and education. The group is comprised of members with extensive experience and expertise across all areas of child and family social work, inclusive of social workers in direct practice, academics, those who work in the third sector, and more.

The group’s purpose is to support and assist the England Committee in fulfilling its remit by providing a specialist perspective and advice to further the implementation of BASW's 2020 and 2025 Vision. The group reports to the England Committee, and is tasked to:

  • Be accountable to and inform the England Committee of group members’ views and perceptions of issues relevant to social workers and social work and in line with the England Committee business plan.
  • Provide a focus for BASW members to inform BASW England’s strategy on child and family social work practice and policy through consultations and webinars 
  • Assist in the development of social work policy, practice, legislation and education in England
  • Enhance the debate on these issues across the four countries of the United Kingdom
  • Develop statements and activity on social work policy, practice, legislation, research and education on behalf of the England Committee

The group also supports the Disabled Children's Sub-group.

Email england@basw.co.uk for more information about how to get involved.

Current priority areas include:

  • The government's response to the review of children's social care 
  • Relationship based social work (80/20 campaign)
  • The social work response to family homelessness  
  • Social work interface with the Family Courts
  • Practice and Guidance on children in care including foster care, adoption, residential care (especially ‘unregulated’ placements), leaving care 
  • The social work response to families in poverty
  • The response to the IICSA report on child sexual abuse including the recommendation for mandatory reporting
  • Practice and policies for disabled children and their families
  • Anti-racist practice
  • Social work policies and practice with refugee families and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children 

Members of the Group

Co-chairs: Rick Hood and Judy Walsh

Vice Chair: James Blewett

Members: Janet Ayoola, James Blewett, Andrew Davies, Ana Olea Fernández, Nicki Forget, Anna Glinski, Sarah Goff, Sarah Harrison, Ann Horne, Gemma Hunt, Charlotte Jenkins, Millie Kerr, Abisola  Kukoyi, Rachael Owens, Mohammed Salaam Kamara, Fiona Tharme, June Thoburn, and Carolyne Willow.

Publications and Output from the Group

  • Review into children's social care information hub: The Department for Education announced its Review of Children’s Social Care in England in January 2021. The review aimed to support the needs of England’s most vulnerable children, so they experience the benefits of a stable, loving home. The information hub gives an overview of the work done by the C&F group to keep members informed and engaged in the review process. (January 2021 to June 2023)
    • BASW England consulted with members in response to the 3 Department of Education consultations (Stable Homes Built on Love, The Children’s Social Care National Framework and the Child and Family Social Worker Workforce) which ran simultaneously until May 2023. Contributions to the consultations were gathered through member workshops, and direct input from members of the Children and Families Thematic Group. A combined summary of BASW England's response to the 3 consultations can be viewed here. 
  • Social work with families who are homeless or who have housing needs:  A reflective guide for social workers and social work managers (January 2022)
  • The context, roles and tasks of the child and family social worker: A resource for politicians, journalists and media representatives who contact BASW for briefings, usually when a particularly troubling event has occurred (and through them, members of the public), but also for those contemplating a career in social work, or those in the early stages of their training considering which social work path to follow. (June 2018, updated September 2020)

BASW Resources and CPD

Recommended External Reading

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80-20 Campaign

80-20 Campaign

The 80:20 campaign aims to reverse the current trend in social work where practitioners are spending most of their time on administrative and process driven tasks, rather than on building relationships.