The British Association of Social Workers Criticises Media for Naming Social Workers in Articles

The British Association of Social Workers Criticises Media for Naming Social Workers in Articles

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW), has criticised sections of the media for naming social workers involved in cases where children have died.  They have argued that the risk attached to this for the individual practitioners far outweighs any public interest defence.

The chief executive of BASW, Ruth Allen, has said:

“No social worker should have to fear for his/her life just for trying to do their best in a very complex job that often involves many other agencies.”

“The publication of social workers’ names in situations like this is known to provoke such threats and the risk of this often far outweighs any public interest defence in the media.”

According to BASW, there have been additional reports of social workers being abused in person. There has even been an incident where people have been “shouting obscenities through a megaphone while social workers head into their offices”.

In terms of ensuring that any concerns about social workers are properly investigated, Allen added: “Social workers are accountable professionals and there are proper channels for practice to be investigated where necessary.”

If you have concerns about this issue or have been affected in any way, BASW have issued some advice for social work practitioners which can be found along with their official statement on their website: https://www.basw.co.uk/news/article/?id=1595

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