Scottish Association of Social Work

Scottish Refugee Council have launched a new guide for pregnant women seeking asylum in Scotland. All women have the right to receive free NHS maternity care during pregnancy and after birth. This includes women seeking asylum - even if their claim has been refused.

The online guide brings together essential information on:

️️ℹ️ The rights of pregnant women

🩺The healthcare they are entitled to receive

👩‍⚕️ The role of key healthcare professionals like midwives and health visitors

🤝 Financial assistance and other support available to pregnant women and new parents

View the ‘Pregnancy and Asylum’ guide here: https://buff.ly/Dwa2s27

Our support service provides free coaching and support for all social workers and social work students in Scotland, thanks to support from the Scottish Government.

Want to plan your next move, overcome challenges, or just talk through an issue?

https://buff.ly/EqcDxtz

👉 Shaping practice: Our new lunchtime events for members to engage with current changes in social work.

🆓 100% free and member-only.

❓️ These sessions will create a forum for members who are interested in the changes facing social work and who want to use their professional expertise to help keep developments on the right track.

📅 Can Scotland keep the Promise - Tuesday 9 June, 12:00-1300

Time is running out to keep the Promise by 2030. Earlier this year, a new law was passed to support its implementation. Still, most agree that further legislation is likely, and even delivering the changes already agreed will be hugely challenging. As social workers, you are on the front line of this work. Together, we can help shape the next few years and drive focus on the changes that will make a real difference to the people we support.
🔗 Book now 👉 https://buff.ly/kGjOChA

📆 Age Assessments and the NAAB: A Scottish approach-Tuesday, 25 August 2026 - 12:00-13:00

BASW policy remains opposed to the NAAB, and work to scrap it continues. In Scotland, we have an opportunity to shape something better. This session will explore the options for changing how we carry out age assessments and how we support age-disputed young people seeking asylum. Together, we can create a system that is both practical and grounded in human rights. We are already working with partners on this issue and need members’ experience and expertise to shape our next steps.
🔗 Book now 👉 https://buff.ly/hcqUL3K

📆 One Deal for Social Work: Where are we now with terms and conditions, and what next? - Tuesday 27 October - 12:00-13:00

We launched One Deal for Social Work nearly three years ago. Initially opposed by major unions but now largely supported, the campaign has helped shift how terms and conditions for social workers in Scotland are viewed. There is now broad recognition that genuine change is essential. This session will look at the next steps toward a profession that is nationally consistent, professionally respected, relationship-based, and supported to thrive.
🔗 Book now 👉 https://buff.ly/SDnpLYS

The UK Government have increased non-taxable mileage rates from 45p to 55p a mile.

We have written to COSLA, urging their members, the Scottish local authorities, to increase the amount they pay to all employees in order to reach this new, higher level. Doing so would go some way to addressing existing inequities in the system and provide the much-needed cash boost for social workers and their LA colleagues. This is a huge win, made possible by our members. We hope councils will act quickly to implement this increase in the allowance.

https://buff.ly/8U0fIu7

We now urgently need COSLA to implement these changed rates across Scotland.

📰 Thanks to Community Care for reporting on last week's very welcome announcement from the Chancellor that the non-taxable mileage rate will rise for the first time since 2011.

BASW members have flooded our inbox about this issue in recent years, making it one of the highest priority campaigns we've taken on in parliament.

While the increase is certainly progress, we now need to see it reflected in the amounts that employers allow social workers to claim back. We'll be strongly pressing all local authorities to make this the case.

Read more 🔗 https://www.communitycare.co.uk/content/news/rachel-reeves-increases-tax-free-mileage-rate-to-tackle-cost-of-living

SASW were at Edinburgh University yesterday working with students to explore the SSSC Anti-racism Learning Resource. We worked with 50 students on their recall day from placement, it was great to be able to support such an engaged group.

Mileage Allowance win

Today, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the non-taxable mileage rate for those who use their vehicles for work will increase from 45p to 55p. This is a victory for BASW and other organisations that have been campaigning on this issue for years.

Many social workers use their vehicles for work and have told BASW the hardship they are facing with rising fuel costs. BASW has kept the pressure on the UK government on mileage rates, and last month wrote to Rachel Reeves urging her to increase the rate.

While BASW has been campaigning for an increase to 60p, this is still a significant step.

But, it is not enough that the UK government has increased the rate - employers now need to ensure that social workers are able to claim back the full 55p per mile in order for them to feel the benefit.

BASW will be writing to all local authorities in England, Wales, and Scotland to urge them to increase the reimbursement rate in line with the HMRC non-taxable mileage rate, and to backdate claims to April 2026 to reflect the policy of HMRC.

Read our previous letter: https://buff.ly/sc4fZ4b

Supervision and home visits are central to social work with children and families, yet the interaction between them is rarely considered.

Given the importance that social workers place on them both, it seems strange that we tend only to evaluate the influence of supervision through its impact on social workers, without gathering any empirical evidence around whether it is directly improving the outcomes that it has on the families we support.

Listen now for free: https://buff.ly/uyOv6wf