"We Are the Strength Behind the System — It’s Time the System Stood With Us"
On 10 July 2025, overseas social workers across the UK gathered both in-person and online for the second annual BASW Diaspora Social Workers Conference. This year's theme explored "Resilient Diaspora Social Workers: Surviving and Thriving in Challenging Environments."
BASW Diaspora Special Interest Group Co-Chairs, Suzanne Machin-Autenrieth and Priya David were proud to welcome a vibrant community — comprising frontline workers, policy leaders, and others — united in purpose and action. The programme featured keynote contributions from the Minister for Children and Families, Janet Daby MP, BASW Chief Executive, Dr Ruth Allen, Chief Social Worker for Adults and Mental Health, Sarah McClinton and Emeritus Professor of Social Work at University of Pretoria, Dr Linda Smith.
BASW Diaspora SIG Co-Chair, Priya DavidA movement rooted in truth, courage and transformation.
The conference offered an important opportunity for fellowship, networking and solidarity, while also delving into in-depth discussions and learning. It was also a chance to showcase the work and achievements of BASW's Diaspora SIG, including:
- Influencing policy, including the Code of Practice on International Recruitment
- Creating tools, like the diaspora induction framework, now adopted in Oxfordshire
- Speaking out through podcasts, webinars, and national forums
- Contributing to WRES advisory groups, scrutiny panels, and professional networks
Co-Chair, Priya David commented:
"This wasn’t just an event. It was a movement rooted in truth, courage, and transformation. It belongs to all who care about justice, safety, and sustainability in the social work field.
"Diaspora and overseas-qualified social workers carry more than a caseload. We carry the legacy of migration, cultural dislocation, and the constant negotiation of identity, while delivering frontline care in a system that often does not see us. We are not a footnote in this workforce. We are one in ten of the UK’s 122,000 social workers — and growing.
The conference didn't shy away from discussing the challenges and barriers that overseas social workers still face, including illegal recruitment practices, housing insecurity, racism in the workplace, barriers to progression and disproportionate scrutiny.
The consensus from delegates was that these issues demanded action to address, not just empathy. The call to sector leaders was:
- Don’t just applaud diversity — invest in it
- Don’t just recruit us — retain and protect us
- Don’t just listen once a year — partner with us every day
Priya added: "When diaspora social workers thrive, the whole system rises. We don’t want seats at the table just to be seen — we’re here to be heard, to lead, and to transform the table itself. Let this be the legacy of our gathering:
"We stood up. We spoke out. And we moved the dial together."
Diaspora Social Worker of the Year Awards
This year's conference also hosted the inaugural Diaspora Social Worker of the Year awards, inviting nominations from across the social work profession. It proved to be a popular addition to the programme, allowing delegates to celebrate, congratulate and thank the work of colleagues for their valuable contributions to the Diaspora Social Work community and to the people they support through their practice.
Congratulations to the winners:
- Diaspora Social Work Manager Award of the Year: Audrey Bangidza from Norfolk County Council
- Diaspora ASYE Award of the Year: Ipinjesu Taiwo from Norfolk County Council
- Diaspora Social Work Student of the Year: Favour Egboh from Robert Gordon University
- Diaspora Social Worker of the Year: Tigere Makota from Oxfordshire County Council
Thank You!
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to be part of, and contribute to, another wonderful Diaspora Social Work Conference, full of rich learning, inspiring stories, and celebration of the diaspora social work community around the UK.
It is thanks to your unwavering support that we are able to attract such noteworthy speakers and interesting content to this event and we certainly hope that you gained a lot from being part of it.
Thanks to the BASW Diaspora SIG Committee for organising and for your hard work and commitment all year round. We also want to pay tribute to Michael, Echo, Francin, Martine, and Helen Randle for all your efforts behind the scenes to not only make this event possible, but powerful. And thanks also to our sponsors, Social Workers Union (SWU) and to the University of Wolverhampton for hosting.
The committee engage in monthly network meetings with diaspora/overseas social workers throughout the year. If you would like to get involved, please email diaspora@baswnetwork.co.uk or check out the webpage for more details here.
