Editing Social work (section)

==Trade unions representing social workers==
In the United Kingdom, just over half of social workers are employed by local authorities,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MCyGoAEACAAJ|title=A contemporary history of social work: Learning from the past|first=Terry|last=Bamford|date=February 25, 2015|publisher=Policy Press: the University of Bristol|isbn=978-1-4473-2218-4|location=Bristol, United Kingdom|language=en}}</ref> and many of these are represented by [[UNISON]], the public sector employee union. Smaller numbers are members of the [[Unite the Union]] and the [[GMB (trade union)|GMB]]. The [[British Union of Social Work Employees]] (BUSWE) has been a section of the trade union [[Community (trade union)|Community]] since 2008.

While at that stage, not a union, the [[British Association of Social Workers]] operated a professional advice and representation service from the early 1990s. Social Work qualified staff who are also experienced in employment law and industrial relations provide the kind of representation you would expect from a trade union in the event of a grievance, discipline or conduct matters specifically in respect of professional conduct or practice. However, this service depended on the goodwill of employers to allow the representatives to be present at these meetings, as only trade unions have the legal right and entitlement of representation in the workplace.

By 2011 several councils had realized that they did not have to permit BASW access, and those that were challenged by the skilled professional representation of their staff were withdrawing permission. For this reason BASW once again took up trade union status by forming its arms-length trade union section, [[Social Workers Union]] (SWU). This gives the legal right to represent its members whether the employer or [[Trades Union Congress]] (TUC) recognizes SWU or not. In 2015 the TUC was still resisting SWU application for admission to congress membership and while most employers are not making formal statements of recognition until the TUC may change its policy, they are all legally required to permit SWU (BASW) representation at internal discipline hearings, etc.