BASW chief steps down after almost decade in role

Ruth Allen is stepping down as chief executive of the British Association of Social Workers UK after almost a decade in the role.

Allen is moving on from the post to concentrate on her international work, in which capacity she is president of the International Federation of Social Workers Europe and will, for the next two years, advise BASW on international social work in an honorary capacity.

Allen, whose background is in mental health social work practice and leadership, took on the chief executive post in April 2016.

In an interview with Community Care last year, she said her proudest achievements as chief executive had been in relation to BASW's campaigns, including on practitioner working conditions, asylum and immigration and deinstutionalising care for autistic people and people with learning disabilities.

New support and CPD services

During her tenure, BASW launched a professional education and tenure arm, to boost its provision of continuing professional development to members, and its Social Work Professional Support Service (SWPSS), which provides peer-to-peer coaching to practitioners.

SWPSS is available to all social workers and social work students in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, thanks to funding from their respective governments, and to BASW members in England.

BASW UK chair Julia Ross praised Allen for her passion for social work and social workers, saying that she had "[championed] them at every opportunity".

"We would like to give our sincerest thanks to Ruth for steering BASW over the last ten years," Ross added.

BASW Cymru national director Sam Baron will take charge of BASW UK in the interim, while it recruits a permanent chief executive to replace Allen, a process that will start shortly.