Reflections on the Social Work Action Network 2006-2017.

1. Reflections on the Social Work Action Network 2006-2017. Prof Michael Lavalette National Co-ordinator SWAN

2. Radical Roots and material bases • Conflict over social work (and ‘what it is’) reflects four aspects (covering ‘objective/structural’ and ‘subjective/agency’ factors): (a) it is rooted in the contradictions of the social work task (performing both ‘care’ and ‘control’ functions, within a context set by national and local state regulation) (b) it is shaped by the realities of the labour process within which social workers operate (street level bureaucrat or Seebholm factory worker! – professional within an association or worker and trade unionist – or some combination??) (c) the location of the work activity (amongst the poorest and most marginalised, constantly confronting the realities of poverty, inequality and oppression) (d) contested values – or political orientations • Social Work’s “contested history” ( and SW’s radical history) • Conservative sw reforming sw ‘the radical kernel’

3. The Context of Social Work in Britain under New Labour • ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ (!?) Expectations on New Lab – but committed themselves to sticking to Conservative spending limits for 2 years, and not to increase income tax. • Education, education, education! • Victoria Climbié, Every Child Matters (2003) & Children’s Act (2004), Sure Start. (But increased bureaucracy for SWers and merging of education and social services into ‘Children’s Services’ at local gvt meant Diretors often no exp of child protection) • NHS Plan (2000) increases internal marketization within the NHS • Tony Blair (1999) told the British Venture Capitalists Association of "the scars on my back" from two years trying to reform the public sector. (1) • ‘managerialism’ • War in Kosovo 1998/99 (the theory of ‘liberal interventionism’) • The birth of the anti-capitalist/Global justice Movement (Seattle, December 1999) • From anti-capitalist movement to anti-war movement (September 2001, Afghanistan Oct 2001 and the war on Iraq 2003) The demos of Feb 2003.

4. Social work precursors • Ferguson and Lavalette “Social Work, Postmodernism and Marxism" in European Journal of Social Work (1999) • Ferguson & Lavalette, "Marxism and Social Work Research" Theorising Social Work Research, NISW, Manchester, Dec 2000 • Chris Jones ‘Voices from the Frontline’ (BJSW 2000) and Nottingham University • The Canadian Schools of Social Work conference (Toronto) 2002 • 'Beyond Power Discourse: Alienation and Social Work' British Journal of Social Work, (2004)

5. Birth pangs .. • Manifesto for a new engaged practice (Ferguson, Jones, Lavalette and Penketh, 2004) … and the ‘sign up’ • December 2004: Social Work: A profession worth fighting for? And ‘I didn’t come into social work for this …’ • April 2006 Chris Jones retirement conference and the launch of SWAN.

6. Organisational structure • Some ‘early joiners’: ML, IF, LP plus Vasilios Ioakimidis, Barry Levine, Rhona Woodward, Mark Baldwin, Rea Maglajlic, Peter Beresford, Rich Moth, Dan Morton, Autistic Rights, Shaping Our Lives • Organisational form: elected steering committee, national coordinator and deputy, representatives from all affiliate organisations. • Conference organisation and form.

7. “Let a thousand flowers bloom” • Scotland – refugees • Liverpool – Mental Health Day Care centre • Bristol – ‘Nazi- taxis’ • Norwich – day centres • Local groups are free to develop to reflect local campaigns/initiatives and they can call themselves ‘SWAN’ providing they sign up to the general principles contained in the Social Work Manifesto

8. Theory … • SWAN annual conferences (Liverpool X 3, Glasgow X 2, London X 2, Bath, Teeside, Durham, Birmingham). Bringing academics, students, workers and service users together. • Books – Policy Press link • Pamphlets – Baby P; Why Michael Gove is Wrong • Dispatches from the Front Line • CRSW

9. … and practice • Baby P tour • Free Norbert Ferencz • Refugee work – three convoys to Calais/Dunkirk; SWWB; Dubs; Samos. • Anti-austerity campaigning – with BASW set up ‘Social Workers and Service Users Against Austerity’ • Bringing the social work organisations together (July 2015, London) • Mental Health Charter • Grenfell

10. International SWAN • Manifesto – translated into Greek, Spanish, Cantonese and Russian (!) • Interventions at IASSW/IFSW conferences (Australia, Chile, Hong Kong, Sweden, Australia, South Korea) • Palestine (at IASSW conference Hong Kong, Palestinian Schools of Social Work at EASSW) • Formation of other SWAN groupings: Ireland, Greece, Denmark, Japan, Canada (Irish group has a regular newsletter which combines theory with campaign iniatives) • European wide refugee day • Sister networks in Hong Kong, Hungary, US, New Zealand

11. Building alliances • Service users (as members, as partners, as allies) • Unison (official recognition of SWAN, close working relationship) • BASW (relationship generally good, very good at present, less so under previous Chief Exec) • IFSW/IASSW/EASSW (‘in and against’ – part of social work, reflecting a consistent strand of SW theory and practice, but with a ‘tension’ over political directions) • Mental Health Activist Alliance • DPAC • Stand Up to Racism

12. References • (1) “Blair risks row over public sector” BBC News 7 July 1999 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/388528.stm