Articles

Progressive Social Work Manifesto, Hong Kong

SWAN is excited to share with you the manifesto of Hong Kong's Progressive Social Work Network (PSWN), which formed last year: Progressive Social Work ManifestoProgressive Social Work Network（PSWN）September 2011, Hong Kong In the past decade, the prevalence of neoliberalism and managerialism has seriously trampled upon Hong Kong’s welfare system. This dominance is reflected in the government’s policies of competitive bidding of service, adopting the principle of users pay, introducing Lump Sum Grants(LSG), reducing social security assistance, closing down single families and new arrivals service centers, and even using political tactics to suppress discontent. Read More

Report from Personalisation in Glasgow – 10th March

Report from Glasgow City Unison on Personalisation in Glasgow conference: Over eighty people, including thirty service users, attended a conference on 10 March to discuss and organise against cuts in services and support to disabled people in Glasgow. The event was organised by the trade union UNISON, the Defend Glasgow Services Campaign, the Social Work Action Network and disability groups in the city. Read More

Delivering Dignity report – a critical response

This week the Delivering Dignity report by the Commission on Dignity in Care for Older People was published. You can read a copy of the report for yourself here. Read More

Stop Tesco’s attack on the unemployed

This morning (Saturday 18th February), the Social Work Action Network (SWAN) joined the Right to Work Coalition and others to temporarily shut down the Tesco Express store opposite the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. Across the nation today, similar actions are taking place to stop Tesco cashing in on unpaid labour, as part of the government’s Work Programme , which claims to be breaking ‘the cycle of benefit dependency.’ Read More

Statement on closure of the Southampton social Work course

During this period of severe economic and social hardship, it is imperative that public, and in particular social care services, are maintained and strengthened. The reality is that, be it in adult’s or children’s services, as a society we are facing growing levels of complex care needs. And if we are to respond to this challenge, above all we need have the highest quality workforce possible. Read More

SWAN activists support campaign for ‘no deal’ on pensions

SWAN activists are amongst those helping to organise a series of events to oppose the acceptance by some trade union leaders of the government's deal on pensions. Read More

SWAN opposes closure of Southampton social work course

The government’s austerity measures and drive to privatise higher education is now impacting on social work education. Read More

Disability activists publish crucial research against welfare reform

Today disability activists and campaigners, including the bloggers Sue Marsh @suey2y and Kaliya Franklin @BendyGirl, published a crucial self-funded report into the Coalition Government's welfare reform programme. The authors studied the submissions to the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) consultation and revealed evidence that the consultation did not meet the Government's own Code of Practice. Read More

Spirit of Christmas cheer evades Atos

Today (Friday 16th December 2011) members of Social Work Action Network London joined other groups to protest against the Victorian Christmas being inflicted on hundreds of thousands of sick and disabled people this Christmas by Atos – a Paris-based IT company. Read More

Manchester SWAN supports public sector workers

Manchester SWAN sent a small delegation of social work students from Uni of Manchester, Man Met and Salford to visit the picket line at Gorton Social Services. We showed solidarity with a small collection and card in support of the ... Read More

N30 strike report from Wolverhampton

At 7am yesterday morning two trade union members turned up to unlock the building at my workplace and the struggle to get all union members out on Strike began. We have to ‘think of the children’ they claimed. Dealing with betrayal at dawn is not easy but by nine o’clock we had 10 pickets, the majority of members on strike including a whole admin team who could least afford to lose a day’s pay whose loyalty to the union was second to none. By 11am we had over two thousands strikers at our city march around town and by 2.30 pm at the regional rally central Birmingham there were 5000. By the end of the day there were over 23,000 on strike in our region. Read More

N30 strike report Solihull

With dawn breaking in Solihull N30 picket lines formed outside seven larger Council workplaces and Solihull College for 7.30am. The NUT, NASUWT, GMB and UNISON jointly picketed the gate at the Council House in view and hearing range of the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council. Drivers going into work had an uncomfortable wait and had to speak to pickets when they requested the barrier to rise. The five entrances of the Council House each had a picket of two people. Read More

N30 strike report from Liverpool

There was a great turnout in Liverpool for N30, with the local news saying 15000 on the demo! There was a fantastic atmosphere, workers from up to 30 unions marched through the city centre. Unison, Unite, GMB and PCS were the most visible. I marched with other social work students and lecturers from Hope, social work practitioners, my practice educator and my son! Read More

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