Scottish Association of Social Work

16/06/2026

SASW and SWS' initial statement on the Cheshire West ruling.

This decision marks a substantial shift in how deprivation of liberty is understood under Article 5 ECHR. It introduces a more nuanced, multi‑factorial approach and recognises that individuals who lack formal decision‑making capacity may nevertheless be capable of expressing a form of “valid consent” through their wishes and feelings. While this development reflects a more contextual reading of liberty and autonomy, it also creates uncertainty and increases the risk of inconsistent interpretation in practice. Some of this uncertainty needs to be carefully considered and understood.

We are working in partnership with colleagues from across the sector to understand all the impacts this decision will have on practice in Scotland. We are also keen to understand the views of the third and independent sector about how they see the judgment affecting the people they support.

Once work to gain a full picture of the impact, which is complex, has been completed, we will be asking policymakers and employers to ensure there is clarity and suitable guidance for our members and the profession more broadly. There may also be a need for changes in national guidance, but these will need to be carefully thought through.

We will provide a further joint update on the Cheshire West judgement in the next few weeks.

https://buff.ly/QyZF1kE

16/06/2026

Resource, it’s more than caseloads or vacancies in teams
It means having time to spend with a child or young person so that they are understood, and the practitioner is known and trusted by them. Being able to build that professional relationship is vital to keeping children and young people safe.

To keep the Promise by 2030, we need to invest in... People. The Promise. Social Work.

15/06/2026

Resource, it’s more than money, bricks and mortar.

It means having options to support families and places for children to call home, when where they live isn’t safe.

To keep the Promise by 2030, we need to invest in... People. The Promise. Social Work.

11/06/2026

11/06/2026

Fraser McKinlay, Chief Executive from the Promise is enjoying hearing from social workers about their day-to-day practice. Without social workers the Promise to the children and young people cannot be kept. The public service reform will have a huge impact as it is all about saving money. Fraser promises that he will do his best that the public service reform agenda will support the important work social workers do and not make harder.

11/06/2026

11/06/2026

Pride in Practice is in full swing in Dundee, Chaired by SASW ND Jane Shears. And our Professional Officer, Susan Dobson, is in Edinburgh for The Reflective Practitioner Conference for CEC colleagues. A busy few days promoting best practice. Building connections, and supporting social work.

11/06/2026

See the latest newsletter from the Social Work Policy Panel.

On 2 June 2026, the Social Work Policy Panel hosted its final session of the current term. Awais Mashkoor, Lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland, presented findings from his research on health and social care integration, drawing on interviews with those leading and chairing integration spaces across Scotland.

The central argument of the presentation was straightforward: integration has been designed structurally, but it has to be lived relationally. A decade on from the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014, Scotland has governance frameworks, joint boards and reporting structures. What it does not yet have, Awais argued, is the relational infrastructure to make those structures work. Integration is not only an organisational arrangement. It is a daily practice, asking people to work across different professional cultures, different accountabilities, different languages and different assumptions about risk, care and responsibility.

Read more: https://buff.ly/fI5utDV

10/06/2026

The Pride in Practice Scotland conference kicked off in excellent style this morning.

“Valuing the profession means acknowledging the reality and responding to it, social workers are excellent at this.” - Joanna Macdonald, National Chief Social Work Adviser to the Scottish Government and NSWA Chief Exec.

10/06/2026

Key findings from this Year's State of Social Work Survey report.

-55.21% of respondents identified access to resources for the people they work with as one of the biggest challenges they face in the workplace

-Funding of social care was selected by 73.64% of respondents as one of the biggest challenges facing the profession, up from 62.22% in 2023

-57.79% of respondents report not being able to complete all their work during their contracted hours, slightly down from 64.61% in 2023

This survey chimes with the recent SSSC report, and highlight that urgent action to support services and improve working conditions are needed in Scotland. SASW continues to make these cases to policy makers and Government on behalf of our members.

https://buff.ly/3PUhNo7