This leaflet has been produced by UNISON Scotland organise a Social Work Issues Group (SWIG) – it’s hoped it can be used to help with recruiting social workers and others who work in social care. It gives details of how UNISON can support you if you work in social care / social work.
SWIG are social work reps from branches across Scotland. We respond to government consultations, and regularly meet Scottish Government ministers and key civil servants to ensure you voice is heard. We also promote social work and social care’s vital role to the media and we challenge negative press.
We also run campaigns on a range of issues relevant to our social work members. We produced a Manifesto for Social Work. We have taken the lead on Direct Payments. We provide legal views on court decisions. We issued a Workload Management and Supervision Negotiating Resource and a Guide for Social Work Practitioners, Keeping Safe in the Workplace.
We produced a report on the children of asylum seekers. UNISON persuades councils to become Ethical Care Councils by adopting our charter which demands quality, dignified care; a stable, well paid and trained workforce; and commissioning services on the basis of the aims of the Charter, insisting contractors pay the living wage.