Registration for our Annual Conference and Exhibition is now live!
After serious consideration, we’ve decided to go ahead with our 2021 Annual Conference and Exhibition, taking place on 26 October at the Crieff Hydro.
For the first time too we’ll be joining forces with the Scottish Social Services Awards, which will be taking place in the evening of our conference (26 October), also at Crieff Hydro.
Please be assured that we’re continuing to take COVID-19 very seriously; reducing our programme down to a one-day event, ensuring social distancing is possible throughout the venue, and taking whatever additional steps we need to in order to ensure we have a covid- safe but enjoyable time together. We’ll be monitoring developments closely over the summer, and will be offering a full refund on tickets if we are unable to go ahead.
Since the pandemic started in 2020, social work – and Social Work Scotland itself – has flexed and adapted, responding to the changing needs of communities and a rapidly shifting policy landscape. The contribution of individuals, teams and services has been immense, and our decision to proceed with the conference is driven by a desire to celebrate this collective effort (and hopefully provide a moment or two for decompression). The Scottish Social Services Awards which will also be an excellent opportunity to recognise the work which individuals and teams have done over the past year.
The pandemic has drawn attention to some serious underlying issues for social work; capacity, training and wellbeing, as well as profile and identity. None of these are new, but looking ahead to the roll out of the Promise, Adult Social Care reform, incorporation of human rights frameworks and many other relevant developments, the next few years have the potential to be a seminal moment in the evolution of social work in Scotland. Our conference programme will seek to capture the significance of the moment, providing opportunities for reflection and debate on the critical challenges and strategic issues we face. Our aim is for you to leave the event feeling that you’ve had a chance to participate in the national conversations, and better equipped to facilitate the conversation locally, whatever your role. We’ll announce speakers in the coming weeks, and invite workshop submissions under the theme leadership in social work.