Mark Isherwood
As a Patron of British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Cymru, North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood cut the ribbon and spoke at yesterday’s opening of their North Wales office in Colwyn Bay.
Speaking at the opening Mr Isherwood said:
“I am proud to be a patron of BASW Cymru, standing up strong as the professional association for social work led by social workers themselves and delighted to be cutting the ribbon at today’s official opening of Basw Cymru’s new office in wonderful North Wales.
“It is great that BASW Cymru membership numbers continue to grow, up 38% in 3 years to well above 1,100 members in Wales and it is great that BASW Cymru have been working with other members of the Welsh Reablement Alliance, most of whom I work closely with as the Chair of several related Assembly Cross Party Groups, to improve quality of life and cut down on hospital admissions, helping people to do things for themselves and to live as independently as possible , based on the principle that enablement and reablement should be the starting point for all interventions.
“Speaking at BASW Cymru’s World Social Work Day Event last year, I was asked to focus on the need for social work to spend time developing relationships to identify real needs and a move away from bureaucratic, output focussed practice.
“Social work has a critical role in the promotion of social and economic equalities and in striving for a people-focused approach. Human relationships are of paramount importance and should be at the heart of all good social work practice.”
“It is time for change in service delivery by seeing everyone as equal partners in local services, breaking down the barriers between people who provide services and those who use them, building a fence at the top of the cliff rather than providing an ambulance at the bottom.”
