AGM and motions carried at SWAN Conference 2015

SWAN AGM 2015 minutes
Chaired by Kerry Cuskelly, SWAN Ireland

1. Welcome:

Apologies included Peter Beresford, Mark Baldwin, Marie Porter, Bob Williams-Finlay, Rich Moth, Simon Cardy.

2. Report from National Convener Michael Lavalette:

Topics covered – local groups, access to funds, Rotherham, international work, Critical and Radical Social Work journal and SWAN pamphlets.  work for the coming year to focus on policy responses and development of international SWAN network.

3. Report from Treasurer and Membership Secretary Iain Ferguson:

Summary of income and expenditure handed out to all AGM attendees.
Membership – Roughly 4 or 5 people are joining every week. Setting up a standing order is encouraged.
Proposed action for the coming year – new SWAN postbox needed, website needs to be upgraded, financial help available to help with “start-up” of SWAN groups, steering committee to decide if accounts need to be audited or not, new treasurer/membership officer needed in 2016.

4. Report from Jeremy Weinstein on the Mental Health Charter:

Meetings throughout the year re the charter, invitations to some conferences to speak because of the charter.
300 signatories to the Charter so far. A submission was made by the charter sub-group to the Royal College of Psychiatry in respect of a document they were writing on adult inpatient care. SWAN and MH Charter encourage attendance at the Psychopolitics conference on June 10th in Liverpool Hope University.

5. Motions:

Support of Palestine UK Social Work Network/Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions of Israel from Michael Lavalette. Motion was carried with two abstentions and two against.
No confidence in Chief Social Worker for Children and Families in England by SWAN national steering commitee. Motion was carried.
(copies of motions are available for download below)

6. Election of Steering committee:

National Convener – Michael Lavalette
Deputy Convener – Shelly Ferguson
Membership Officer/Treasurer – Iain Ferguson
The three officer positions were filled and each person was elected unopposed.
All remaining people who put themselves forward for general membership of the steering committee (17) were elected by agreement of the AGM attendees.

7. AOB:

Proposal for the development of an anti-racism charter (akin to the mental health charter). This will be developed initially by the steering committee. This proposal was passed by full agreement of AGM attendees.
Proposal for SWAN to donate £100 each to two funds, the Glasgow Homelessness Workers fund and the Barnet Workers fund. This proposal was passed by full agreement of AGM attendees.

AGM ends.

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