Our conference theme, ‘Developing leaders of the future’, acknowledged the challenges social work faces in the current landscape, and explored what we need to do to inspire and equip future leaders of the profession. We recognised
- the crisis in recruitment and retention and the need to support existing and emerging leaders to be able to ‘fly the flag’ for social work;
- the effects of change demographically, politically, and economically, and the increasingly critical role of social work leaders throughout; and
- the demands of leadership, including the unique skillset and experience future leaders will need to effectively balance social work values and managerial demands.
Delegates from all across the country joined us for a day full of networking opportunities, exciting exhibitions, and thought-provoking conversations with leaders, academics, and peers, as we dived deep into ‘Developing leaders of the future’.