Feminism belongs in schools!
Campaigns

Feminism belongs in schools!

Feminism Belongs in Schools: The story of a group of  16/17 year old girls, their feminist society, how the education system failed them and how they’re fighting back.This week The Guardian ran a shocking story about the sexist harassment and abuse experienced when a group of young tried to start a Feminist Society in their school. Read More
SWAN at the People’s Assembly

SWAN at the People’s Assembly

An impressively large and enthusiastic People’s Assembly met in central London on June 22nd. Among the 4000 delegates were many SWAN supporters, whether representing the London group or from other organisations so it will be interesting to see what ideas we can bring back into social work and SWAN. Read More
Social Workers and Service Users Unite

Social Workers and Service Users Unite

The Social Work Action Network Ireland will be out in force outside Leinster House, Dublin, on Wednesday June 26th at 6pm to support the Special Needs Parents Association as they protest at the most recent callous cut to children with special needs education. Read More
Keep Spon Lane Children’s Home open!

Keep Spon Lane Children’s Home open!

Sandwell Council's Cabinet was met by a noisy lobby of forty people calling on councillors to keep the Spon Lane Children's Home open. The Cabinet received a report on 12th June proposing the closure of the last remaining Council provided Children's Home in Sandwell. The closure will mean the loss of over 15 posts. Read More
SWAN Conference 2014: Durham University

SWAN Conference 2014: Durham University

After the success of the SWAN North-east regional conference in November last year, the 2014 SWAN national event will be held at Durham University, on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th April. This year’s event in London had well over 400 ... Read More
A new review of Social Work Education and Frontline pilot: significant and worrying developments

A new review of Social Work Education and Frontline pilot: significant and worrying developments

The government has announced an independent review on the education of social workers. This seems to be concerned particularly with education in relation to adult service users. See below the official announcement and the links which it provides. David Croisdale-Appleby who is to Chair the review, is Chair of Skills For Care the national organization concerned with the social care workforce. His experience relates to social care rather than social work. Read More
Help SWAN develop a mental health manifesto
Campaigns

Help SWAN develop a mental health manifesto

You may have seen or heard the furore following the British Psychological Society’s call for a new approach to our understanding of mental health. It was on the front page of the Observer on May 12th and discussed the next day on Radio 4’s Start the Week. The BPS argues that there is no scientific evidence for the diagnosis of psychiatric conditions such as bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia. This raises all sorts of important and difficult issues and resonates with discussions we have been having in SWAN about how we see and work with ‘mental health’. Read More
Critical and Radical Social Work journal

Critical and Radical Social Work journal

Critical and Radical Social Work is an exciting new journal that will promote debate and scholarship around a range of engaged social work themes. The journal publishes papers which seek to analyse and respond to issues, such as the impact of global neo-liberalism on social welfare; austerity and social work; social work and social movements; social work, inequality and oppression, and understanding and responding to global social problems (such as war, disasters and climate change). Read More
Save Dudley Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
Campaigns

Save Dudley Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

Please support us to reverse the decision to close down the LAAC (Looked After and Adopted Children) Psychology Service at Dudley CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services). This service provides dedicated therapeutic support for looked after and adopted children in the Dudley borough as well as support, consultation and training to parents, foster carers, social workers and other professionals. Read More
Listening to survivors: child abuse and the establishment

Listening to survivors: child abuse and the establishment

Below, Liz Davies of London Metropolitan University writes on organised crime against children and investigations following Tom Watson MP’s Prime Minister’s Question and important links to social media as the main source of information about current investigations. Liz encourages you to add supportive comments to the sites listed below. You can contact Liz with any information you have which relates to these enquiries or any questions. She is working with Tom Watson’s small team which is collating the evidence coming to light. Read More

Join Swan Now

We want to develop a network of service users, practicitioners, academics and students to support radical and progressive social work. We need a social work that is ready to challenge oppressive practice, that means working collectively across the country and internationally to advance Social Work.