The Scottish Government proposes to create a National Social Work Agency. It would sit within government as part of a National Care Service and provide national leadership, coordination and support for social work education, professional development and improvement.
Its intended remit also includes national workforce planning and the pay, terms and conditions of social workers and para-professional staff. This means that social work staff would be removed from local government pay bargaining. For this reason the NSWA is of importance to the whole local government sector.
UNISON is represented on the Scottish Government groups developing plans for a National Social Work Agency. This briefing for UNISON local government branches and members explains how the proposal is being taken forward and UNISON’s engagement with it.