SWAN Conference 2015 took place at the University of West Scotland in Paisley on 10th & 11th April. It was another strong and vibrant conference with over 400 delegates which was SWAN's 10th such event. The full minutes from the AGM are published below, with the motions carried available for download at the foot of the page. In the first motion, on Palestine and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) of Israel movement, SWAN members overwhelmingly voted in favour of supporting the BDS campaign, SWAN to explore formal affiliation to the Palestinian-UK Social Work Network and for SWAN to call upon the International Federation of Social Work (IFSW) and the British organisers of the IFSW conference to withdraw the invitation to participate to speakers from Israel in line with aims of BDS. In second motion, proposed by the SWAN National Steering Committee, a position of no confidence was passed in the English Chief Social Worker For Children & Families, Isabelle Trowler. This included SWAN supporting the statement made by the Joint University Council Social Work Education Committee on 25/3/15 who share the concern that money being distributed to the private sector for the outsourcing of the accreditation of qualified social workers. It also encouraged SWAN supporters to sign recent online change.org petition (http://chn.ge/1Ns4RSj) demanding a full and independent enquiry into the awarding of the tender for the new Social Work accreditation for the 'Approved Child and Family Practitioner status' to KPMG and Morning Lane Associates.
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