British Association of Social Workers
Encyclopedia
The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) is the largest professional association of social workers and care managers in the United Kingdom
. The association has a members' code of ethics that outlines best social work practice
and works to support social workers and care managers through education and resources. Headquartered in Birmingham
, BASW has regional offices in England
(Birmingham), Northern Ireland
(Belfast
), Scotland
(Edinburgh
), Wales
(Swyddfa Cymru) (Penarth
), and North Wales
(Cymru Gogledd) (Pwllheli
).
BASW was formed in 1970 by the amalgamation of the Association of Child Care Officers
, the Association of Family Case Workers
, the Association of Psychiatric Social Workers
, the Association of Social Workers
, the Institute of Medical Social Workers
, the Moral Welfare Workers' Association
, and the Society of Mental Welfare Officers
. These were all members of the Standing Conference of Organisations of Social Workers (SCOSW), which had been formed in 1962 to bring together the different branches of the profession and which was wound up on the formation of BASW (the National Association of Probation Officers
was also a member, but decided against joining the new association).
Registered members of the British Association of Social Workers
are entitled to use the postnominals of MBASW after their name.
In October 2011 BASW launched a trade union arm (called the Social Workers' Union). This was its second foray into this territory as it did exactly the same thing in 1976 when it launched the British Union of Social Workers, which is now part of the Community (trade union)
. Membership of the SWU is free for BASW members but as the majority of social workers (and possibly the majority of BASW members) are already members of TUC affiliated trade unions, and as the SWU will not be admitted into the TUC or recognised by employers for collective bargaining purposes, the exact role it will fulfil is unclear.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The association has a members' code of ethics that outlines best social work practice
Practice
Practice may refer to:* Practice , a method of learning by repetition* Practice , a theoretical term for human action in society* Spiritual practice...
and works to support social workers and care managers through education and resources. Headquartered in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, BASW has regional offices in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(Birmingham), Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
(Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
), Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
), Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(Swyddfa Cymru) (Penarth
Penarth
Penarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the city centre of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay...
), and North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
(Cymru Gogledd) (Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...
).
BASW was formed in 1970 by the amalgamation of the Association of Child Care Officers
Association of Child Care Officers
The Association of Child Care Officers was the main professional body for social workers looking after the welfare of children in the United Kingdom from 1949 to 1970....
, the Association of Family Case Workers
Association of Family Case Workers
The Association of Family Case Workers , known as the Association of General and Family Case Workers from 1954 to 1963, was the main professional body for social workers looking after the welfare of families in the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1970.In 1970 the association merged with six other...
, the Association of Psychiatric Social Workers
Association of Psychiatric Social Workers
The Association of Psychiatric Social Workers was the main professional body for social workers looking after the welfare of mentally ill people in the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1970....
, the Association of Social Workers
Association of Social Workers
The Association of Social Workers was the main professional body for non-specialised social workers in the United Kingdom. It was established as the British Federation of Social Workers in 1935 and changed its name in 1951...
, the Institute of Medical Social Workers
Institute of Medical Social Workers
The Institute of Medical Social Workers was the main professional body for social workers attached to hospitals in the United Kingdom.It was established from two separate associations of hospital almoners...
, the Moral Welfare Workers' Association
Moral Welfare Workers' Association
The Moral Welfare Workers' Association was a professional body for social workers in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1938....
, and the Society of Mental Welfare Officers
Society of Mental Welfare Officers
The Society of Mental Welfare Officers was a professional body for social workers in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1954 by the amalgamation of the National Association of Authorised Officers and the Mental Health Workers' Association.In 1970 the society merged with six other social...
. These were all members of the Standing Conference of Organisations of Social Workers (SCOSW), which had been formed in 1962 to bring together the different branches of the profession and which was wound up on the formation of BASW (the National Association of Probation Officers
National Association of Probation Officers
The National Association of Probation Officers is the trade union that represents probation officers and Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service reporters in the United Kingdom.NAPO was formed in 1912...
was also a member, but decided against joining the new association).
Registered members of the British Association of Social Workers
British Association of Social Workers
The British Association of Social Workers is the largest professional association of social workers and care managers in the United Kingdom. The association has a members' code of ethics that outlines best social work practice and works to support social workers and care managers through...
are entitled to use the postnominals of MBASW after their name.
In October 2011 BASW launched a trade union arm (called the Social Workers' Union). This was its second foray into this territory as it did exactly the same thing in 1976 when it launched the British Union of Social Workers, which is now part of the Community (trade union)
Community (trade union)
Community is a UK trade union representing workers in the iron and steel, domestic appliance manufacturing, clothing, textiles, footwear and betting industries as well as workers in voluntary organisations, workshops for visually impaired and disabled people, community-care providers and housing...
. Membership of the SWU is free for BASW members but as the majority of social workers (and possibly the majority of BASW members) are already members of TUC affiliated trade unions, and as the SWU will not be admitted into the TUC or recognised by employers for collective bargaining purposes, the exact role it will fulfil is unclear.