Articles

Workers, service users, educators and students togetherMy day started at my borough’s civic centre at 8am. It was a really lively optimistic picket, which went a long way to improving my confidence and hopes for trade unionism among the social workers and social care staff employed by the borough. Staff from one of our day centres, which was successfully shutdown on the day, joined us and so did their service user employees. The picket time was put to use by having important organising discussions among trade union reps, within which I talked about attending a Adult and Children’s social care reps meeting to discuss SWAN London! Read More

LEEDSIn Leeds, 95% of schools were closed and over 60% of council staff were on strike. Unions provided a small number of exemptions to staff in critical services protecting vulnerable people in life threatening situations.Pickets were out all over the town centre and beyond (“I’ve had that leaflet thanks, you lot are everywhere”, said one smiling passer-by) , with 70 at Cross Green refuse depot and a determined line of mental health workers at Seacroft Hospital. Read More

BIRMINGHAMSocial workers, social care staff and home carers were amongst the tens of thousands of public sector workers in Birmingham who took part in the N30 strike today. Picket lines were well attended and lively (see You Tube video below). Read More

Today we ran an important article from a frontline worker in mental health services. The author wanted to remain anonymous, but felt that the story of cuts, mismanagement and service reorganisation (and its impact on both workers and service users) had to be told. Read More

A community mental health worker describes the effects of cuts and reorganization on mental health day services for staff and service users in 21st Century Britain Read More

Emma Harper, social work student, discusses training about the Personalisation Agenda and rejects the branding of its critics as cynics. Read More

Jane Phillips from London SWAN describes feeling inspired by Occupy LSX in London and encourages social workers to get involved in the Occupy movement Read More

Press release for download and link to e-petition at the bottom of this page. The Social Work Action Network (SWAN) has today (03/11/11) launched a petition in defence of Hungarian Social Worker Norbert Ferencz. Mr Ferencz is facing charges of 'incitement' and a possible three year prison sentence for speaking out against a proposed new law to criminalise rough sleepers. Read More