From the SWAN Steering Committee, October 2010

Since coming to power in May 2010, the Con-Dem coalition has announced the biggest cuts in public spending since the Second World War. The figures are so large as to be almost incomprehensible. The cuts are a clear attempt to abolish what is left of the welfare state. The government are slashing a third of council spending by 2015. This will mean social work and social care services reduced and outsourced. It will mean poorer service for users, worse pay and working conditions for workers, and services which are less safe – the cuts affect us all.

FROM DECEMBER 2009

We are two social work students at London South Bank University. Towards the end of our first year of study, having been troubled by reports of front-line practice, we felt that we needed to debate the future of social work as students. We have a proposition for student social workers across the UK.

by Michael Lavalette, December 2009

The final report of the Social Work Task Force was launched last week to much aplomb. Government Ministers immediately accepted all 15 recommendations and Ed Balls and Andy Burnham told those present that the Government would push ahead with legislation as soon as possible in 2010.