UNISON

UNISON is proud to take part in this year’s celebration of the amazing work social workers do and the vital role they are playing in supporting and protecting individuals and communities traumatised by coronavirus.

You are public service champions and we want to say thank you.

As a society we’re living through difficult times. Communities and families have been devastated by the virus, which has taken too many lives, kept loved ones apart and made people fear for the future. Social workers have responded with extraordinary effort and dedication to the challenges the pandemic has created.

As a union we have sought to make clear the diversity of social work: the dilemmas and pressures; the impact of austerity cuts; the lengths many go to protect and support people. Too often this work is hidden from public view, while social work staff grapple with complex problems and look out for people that no-one else wants to know about.

As the UK’s largest union and the main social worker union, we are working to provide the workplace support our members need in these unprecedented times. Negotiating with national and local employers to ensure social workers can work in conditions that allow them to perform their jobs to the best of their ability.

Ten years of spending cuts and austerity have damaged the vital services that make our communities strong and resilient.  As we begin to return to normal, it’s crucial for all of us that the same mistakes aren’t made again, and we don’t return to undervaluing our public services and the people who provide them.

UNISON is campaigning hard for the long term investment needed to rebuild our public services and to create fairer and safer workplaces.