Local Government Service Group Conference 13-14 June 2010

UNISON standing up for social work

Kate Ramsden

Ian Leech

Local Government Conference recognised that, despite a range of welcome initiatives such as Changing Lives and the Social Work Task Force in England, there are still acute problems facing social work staff.

It re-affirmed its support for our members in social work and threw its weight behind a range of measures to campaign for proper resources to fund social work services and to ensure that social work staff can provide quality services to the most vulnerable in our communities.

"The great majority of our members, like me, are in social work because we want to make a positive difference to the lives of the people we are giving a service to," said Aberdeenshire's Kate Ramsden, calling for proper investment in social work and proper systems of support for social work staff.

She told conference that the Scottish Social Work Issues Group has had some success in highlighting social work issues because its activists are front-line staff from across the range of social work services and she urged other regions to set up their own Groups.

"The issues for social work members can't and shouldn't just be left to the national organisation. We must all play our part".

Glasgow’s Ian Leech drew attention to Scotland’s social work manifesto and the guides on supervision and workload management as practical examples of supporting the workforce.

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