Significant elections are taking place in Scotland and Wales this year.

With the current political mood so unpredictable, the make-up of Holyrood in Edinburgh and the Senedd in Cardiff could be very different after May. And given that social work in Scotland and Wales is the full responsibility of these legislatures, any change is likely to have a sizeable impact on decisions taken about the profession, the workforce, and the people that social workers support.

So, what does social work need to be telling the parties and individuals vying for power? The Scottish Association of Social Work (SASW) and BASW Cymru have both set out their manifestos which they want to see the next devolved governments take forward. This episode will consider what these asks are and which political levers they intend to pull to get them accepted.

Host Jonny Adamson is joined by three guests who have all played a major role in developing these manifestos and the campaigning strategies around them. Caroline McDonald, Social Work Team Leader in Children’s Services at Glasgow City Council and Co-Chair of SASW, Andrew Pennington, Senior Social Work Practitioner at Powys County Council and Chair of BASW Cymru, and George Hannah, Senior Public Affairs Officer for SASW.

They discuss how politics differs in Scotland and Wales to other parts of the UK, social work’s role in promoting the vote, and how the profession can use its voice more loudly to affect change in communities across the UK. They also hazard a guess as to who the political winners and losers could be come polling day.

Our thanks to James Ede at Be Heard Productions for producing the episode.

• BASW Cymru manifesto for 2026: Cymru Decides: https://basw.co.uk/policy-and-practice/resources/basw-cymru-manifesto-2026-cymru-decides
• A secure future for Scottish social work: https://basw.co.uk/policy-and-practice/resources/secure-future-scottish-social-work
• Scottish Parliament Election Hub 2026: https://basw.co.uk/about-basw/social-work-around-uk/sasw-basw-scotland/scottish-parliament-election-hub-2026

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.