Articles

SWAN Solidarity Message in support of protests in Hong Kong

SWAN has issued a message of solidarity in support of the current protests in Hong Kong. You can read more about these protests for democracy and univeral suffrage in this article by Lynn Tang. SWAN's message follows below: Read More

Umbrella Movement – Hong Kong students and people fighting for democracy

The ‘Occupy’ movement for democracy happening in Hong Kong right now is unprecedented, writes Lynn Tang, PhD candidate at the Department of Sociology, Warwick University. Read More

Conditions in the West Bank

A social work member of SWAN Ireland traveled with a group of people to the West Bank in recent weeks. The group wrote a letter to the Irish Times about what they witnessed and it was published today! Check it ... Read More

Food bank research in London Borough of Lewisham

At a recent SWAN London meeting (10th September 2014), group member and social work educator, Tom Henri, presented the findings of recent research into food bank use in London Borough of Lewisham. This is a synopsis of the qualitative research: Read More

Tax avoidance specialists handed teaching role on social work MA course

Deloitte, the multi-national tax avoidance specialists, have been given a high profile teaching role http://bit.ly/1x2AJrZ on the Frontline’s fast track into social work five week summer school that came to a self-congratulatory end last week, writes Simon Cardy of SWAN West Midlands. Read More

Mental Health Charter gathers momentum with London event

There is growing support for SWAN's Mental Health Charter (please see attachments below), which was launched at this year's SWAN National Conference in Durham this April, with a London event in November. A list of around 300 signatories to the charter follows this article. To add your name or your organisation's name to this list please email jeremy.weinstein [at] tiscali.co.uk Read More

Stories from the Frontline

I read this article and the experiences of the people within it with a familiar feeling. While the examples in this article are UK specific, the general experiences that people highlighted bear similarities to those of people I meet through ... Read More

Tuam babies: How the English ‘sent back’ unmarried mothers to Ireland

Policy Press author, academic and SWAN Ireland member Paul Michael Garrett discusses the issues surrounding unmarried mothers in his book "Social work and Irish people in Britain". This blog post looks at this topic and touches on the recent story covering the headlines in Ireland, the Tuam babies. Read More

Statement of support from SWAN Ireland to the Paris Bakery Workers

27/05/2014 Re The Paris Bakery Workers Social Work Action Network (SWAN) Ireland is an organisation whose main aim is to create a space where social workers, social care workers, students, service users, carers, academics and members of the public can come together, equally and collectively, to campaign for a fairer society. We are also part of an international network. The Social Work Action Network Ireland this evening pledges its support to the Paris Bakery Workers. Workers have been occupying the building on Moore Street since last week after the company’s owner Yannick Forel refused to agree to pay over €55,000 which the workers are due in wages. The workers are displaying enormous courage in this situation and are standing up for their rights and demanding what is owed to them – payment for their hard work. Read More

SWAN Mental Health Charter launched

During the re-energising 2014 national conference in Durham, SWAN was pleased to announce that the following motion was passed unanimously regarding a Mental Health Charter (which you can download at the foot of the page). Read More

Statement from The Social Work Action Network Ireland on the Direct Provision System in Ireland

On April 10th 2014 the direct provision system in Ireland will be 14 years old. The Social Work Action Network Ireland is joining with other organisations and civil society groups in Ireland to demand that this discriminatory system be ended immediately. The Social Work Action Network Ireland (SWAN Ireland) is a network of social work practitioners, social care practitioners, academics, students and social welfare service users. We campaign on issues of social justice and human rights and defend against cuts to social services in Ireland. Read More

Union of Students Ireland support SWAN Ireland campaign

Here is the text of an emergency motion passed at the recent Union of Students Ireland congress supporting the SWAN Ireland campaign against the introduction of a new “graduate scheme” in the Child and Family Agency Read More

Le Grand review – the marketisation and outsourcing of children’s social care is the aim

Le Grand review - the marketisation and outsourcing of children’s social care is the aim writes Jolyon Jones (SWAN West Midlands).“ The game's out there, and it's play or get played. That simple” Omar Little Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.Matthew 19:14Forget Birmingham’s children, the Le Grand review of Birmingham’s failing children’s social care department is part of a bigger national political game and Birmingham’s failings are Michael Gove’s opportunities. Read More

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