Social Work Action Network (SWAN) London region and London Metropolitan University one-day conference 'Social Work: Finding A Voice' held on Saturday 4th July.
See event flyer
Conference details
The conference was primarily aimed at social workers, social work students and educators and to provide a forum for discussion and debate on issues facing social work.
The conference was chaired by Pam Trevithick a social work lecturer from the University of Gloucester and author of 'Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook (OU Press). Pam is also Chair of GAPS, the Group for the Advancement of Psychodynamics and Psychotherapy in Social Work and co-editor of the Journal Groupwork.
Speakers included:
- Liz Davies, social work lecturer and author of numerous articles and books
- Phil Frampton, Author, journalist, broadcaster and former service user
- Kim Christodoulou, adult services practitioner
- Roger Kline, works for Aspect, the children's services union, and writes on professional accountability in health and social care
- Hilton Dawson, CEO of the British Association of Social Workers, former MP and qualified social worker.
Other contributors included Michael Lavalette and Iain Ferguson, two of the authors of the Manifesto for Social Work and Social Justice and founder members of the National Social Work Action Network (SWAN).
Open mic sessions and workshops were held to encourage as many voices as possible including those from service users and carers.
For more information contact Suzanne Cooper on s.cooper@londonmet.ac.uk or Tel 020 7133 5242.
For information about the national SWAN and forthcoming national and local conferences see www.socialworkfuture.org/
Attendance at the conference could contribute to the GSCC requirement for Social Workers' record of post-registration training and learning
Conference introduction 
