Social Work England pausing changes to education standards, including KSBs. As I argued below, these changes weren’t needed and risk damage. But pausing them now is another slap in the face for HEIs already planning, particularly around apprenticeships. academic.oup.com/bjsw/article...

This Insight paper from Iriss provides a timely and essential examination of artificial intelligence in social work practice, with implications for SASW members and Scottish social work more broadly. The research offers both practical guidance and critical analysis. Read more: buff.ly/ZiPP8kR

An important story in today’s Guardian on a new report showing that teenagers in care are four times more likely to attempt to end their own life than those with no care experience, from #NuffieldFunded research by a team at @ioe.bsky.social. Read the story: bit.ly/45dhdxv

🗣️ We recently published the findings of our 2025 Have Your Say survey. As well as providing an overview of the entire social care workforce in Wales, the final report also breaks the findings down into three job groups: 👉 Read our summary of responses from managers: https://ow.ly/6knz50XFyKn

Will the Liberty Protection Safeguards weaken human rights protections or reduce intrusion into the lives of young people/adults and their families? Find out what social workers think here: www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/11/05/s...

We extend our huge congratulations to Joanna Macdonald, who has been announced as the new National Chief Social Work Advisor and Chief Executive of the new National Social Work Agency.

Day 2 of the Supreme Court Hearing reconsidering Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, Tuesday 21st October See our website for a summary of Day 1 and details of how to follow on the livestream: openjusticecourtofprotection.org

To mark the start of National Adoption Week, @wearecoram.bsky.social has launched a call for adoption stories to mark next year's centenary of the legislation that created the first legal framework for adoption #adoption #socialwork #childrenincare www.coram.org.uk/news/coram-n...

This apparent shift in the government's position is very welcome news. 👏 In the summer, we wrote to the government alongside @adass.bsky.social urging them to implement LPS, which has been put on the back burner for too long. It's encouraging that Ministers have listened and responded.

This is a wonderfully-written and hugely affecting piece from a care experienced woman about her (woeful) time in the system. Well worth your time #childrenincare #socialcare

Not a lot of love for the £500m announced by @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social for adult social care's first fair pay agreement based on the comments I received for this article #lowpay #adultsocialcare #labourpartyconference

Big changes proposed today for social care for disabled children by Law Commission: a duty to meet need, with national eligibility criteria, rights to advocacy for children and parents/carers, rights for children to take/participate in decisions #socialcare www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/09/16/n...

Find out more ⬇️ basw.co.uk/articles/bas...

This feels like good news. 25% of council children's services are rated outstanding by @ofstednews.bsky.social. Four years ago it was 13%. However, no reduction in proportion of inadequate-rated councils and big regional disparities in share of outstanding ones #socialwork #childrensocialcare

There have been strong critical sentiments expressed about the Social Worker Awards previously. But I think this is the first time that I have seen someone actually refuse a nomination. I would have thought people would be asked prior to being listed? www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/08/07/s...

Interesting stats from @community-care.bsky.social . Just 3 out of 730 referrals to Social Work England by the public end up with removal from the register (0.4%). Compared to 14 of 228 referrals from employers (6%). Those 17 removals equate to 0.016% of SWs. www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/08/14/h...

Very nice obit for the outstanding journalist #MalcomDean. I was lucky enough to know him in his advisory roles to my work and he always asked the right questions and challenged our research conclusions www.theguardian.com/media/2025/j...

Rare good news for social care

Calling local authorities 📢 *Evidence into Practice* work with us to turn evidence into action to help strengthen children's services 👇 Find out more about our major new call to select 9 local authorities to partner with us to transform children’s outcomes: foundations.org.uk/launch-of-ne...

Eileen Munro argues that ongoing reforms, based on the #MacAlisterReview are "very likely to fail" and that professionals are just being "inundated with guidance and rules" From @community-care.bsky.social www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/07/03/m...

Don't think Access Social Care are on here...but they are looking for people who use adult social care services to test their new audit service for free - is the support you are getting in line with your legal entitlement? www.accesscharity.org.uk/news-blog/ca...

Our research team (@ciaranmmmurphy.bsky.social et al.) are still looking to recruit more social workers and former social workers with experience of working in coastal communities in England. If you are interested, or would like more information, please contact: [email protected].

Today with @cvaauk.bsky.social & other voluntary #adoption agencies we have launched a new guide to raise awareness of the need for more adoptive parents for children of Black & other diverse ethnicities who are waiting for a family. Download the free guide: www.coramadoption.org.uk/who-can-adop...

SWU General Secretary welcomed the opportunity to share member feedback on the @socialworkengland.bsky.social fee increase proposal. A positive meeting with SWE CEO to highlight SWU concerns about an increase, ensuring any increase provides value for money for social workers, and greater efficiency.

Here's my new article on mortality due to Fabricated or Induced Illness in England. It challenges the exaggeration of mortality in procedures which say up to 10% die and found no deaths in England over a 12 year period. Please rt academic.oup.com/bjsw/advance...

Sometimes social media does good things - new guidance out today: www.linkedin.com/posts/claire...

Social Workers: Are you supporting families out of your own pocket? A new SWU & @itvnews.bsky.social survey will help build a national picture of the hidden costs of poverty and the pressures on frontline workers. Please take part and share with colleagues: www.surveymonkey.com/r/SWUITV25

Last week the House of Lords debated the #ChildrensWellbeingBill. Baroness Longfield spoke passionately about family group conferences. The Bill’s wording on FGDM is too vague. We already have a proven model: the family group conference — truly family-led, not tick-box.

Finalists announced! The BASW Social Work Journalism Awards 2025 celebrate powerful, informed reporting on social work across the UK. Congrats to all shortlisted journalists. Winners revealed at our 10 June conference! 🔗Find out the full list of finalists here: basw.co.uk/articles/fin...

NEW POST: 165,000 children are homeless, many of whom are neurodivergent. KCL Researchers @rosalie-warnock.bsky.social ‪@kbrickell.bsky.social want to hear from families of #neurodivergent children who have experience of living in temporary accommodation www.specialneedsjungle.com/c...

NEW PUBLICATION 📢 Our research shows that #FamilyGroupConferences can keep children safely with their families. Today we’ve published a resource to help local leaders implement FGCs effectively & ensure families get the right support at the right time 👩‍👦 foundations.org.uk/our-work/res...

What does ending overseas recruitment mean for adult social care? www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/05/14/w... #adultsocialcare #immigration

But it also means asking Qs about the effectiveness of what we do now. Do we really get full value for £32bn of public #socialcare spending? How can we not just meet need but prevent it? Can new models/technology save money while still delivering good care? Key issues for Casey.

Cafcass writes to psychologist over comments at Charlotte Proudman book launch www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/cafcass...

The consultation on @socialworkengland.bsky.social's proposed 33% rise in registration fees ends at 5pm today so do have your say if you can www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/02/19/s... #socialwork

This is a wise response to yesterday's announcement on social care from @andrewharrop.bsky.social - including the key point that the really pressing question is not migration rules, but *funding*.

This is a great thread by Rob on the policy illiteracy coming from the government on migration and social care. Who are they listening to?

This is OK on the numbers but any analysis of the expansion of the Health and Care visa to include care roles must take into account how it has been operated and abused. The scale of abuse is so significant that the government is insisting care providers only employ impacted displaced workers

While the amendment was not moved on this occasion, we will continue campaigning for an age assessment process that is undertaken holistically, ethically and objectively by a trained and experienced social worker, not a machine ⬇️ basw.co.uk/articles/bas...

Some thoughts from my colleague @ninahemmings.bsky.social on what the immigration white paper means for social care. Vacancies are still high & the plan for boosting the domestic pipeline is a long way off so stopping overseas recruitment now risks leaving a void in the short term.

Practitioners say understaffing of social work services is putting people requiring support at risk & report seeing more families in poverty, with rising proportion of staff reporting mental health struggles. Read SWU's research on @community-care.bsky.social: www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/05/07/u...

MPs set to vote on whether National Age Assessment Board should be scrapped through amendment to Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill pushed by @basw-uk.bsky.social new.basw.co.uk/policy-and-p... #asylum #ageassessment #socialwork

Must-read for everyone connected to the care system: ‘Don’t assume that everything is okay because that is the carer’s narrative’ www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/05/07/m...

Link to @louisetickle.bsky.social’s Observer podcast about Sara Sharif and the family court with some legal explanation from our chair @familoo.pinktape.co.uk

Please read this thread q out the terms of reference on the casey review from my colleagues,too important to overlook on a sunny friday afternoon …. bsky.app/profile/cami...

Casey Commission tasked with producing plan for ‘national care service’ by 2026 #adultsocialcare #socialcarereform #caseycommission

The government has met with groups not led by us. But they said they're too busy to meet with our national network, and they called the police when we tried to ask for a meeting. Meet with us so we can #BringPeopleHomeFromHospital! Article via Disability News Service: buff.ly/14WTXui

Ministers could face legal action over their “absolutely disgraceful” refusal to meet people with learning difficulties and autistic people to discuss the failure of the mental health bill to protect them from being locked away in psychiatric hospitals. www.disabilitynewsservice.com/ministers-co...

First regional children's care commissioning body launches in Greater Manchester www.cypnow.co.uk/content/news...

Cuts to the Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Fund are having a huge impact on families & the charities who support them. I’m grateful to Jenny at The Purple Elephant Project for speaking to me, alongside an adoptive mum who told of how vital therapy & ASGSF support is for her girls.