As the world continues to grapple with unprecedented challenges brought on by domestic and international events, the role of social workers is more crucial than ever.
For World Social Work Day #WSWD2024 we wish to celebrate these contributions with our fellow social workers, students, researchers, employers, and recruiters.
I am a diaspora social worker. This means I qualified overseas and now work in the UK. Unfortunately, for many social workers like me, navigating through a tumultuous period presents unique obstacles, exacerbated by the absence of supportive networks tailored to our cultural and migration needs.
During the pandemic, we could not go to work and diaspora social workers were unable to return to our home countries and the familiar supports one might rely on were absent here. This can leave many social workers like me feeling isolated, overwhelmed, and undervalued. The lack of a diaspora peer network only served to compound these feelings, leaving many to navigate the complexities of the pandemic workplaces alone.
Many of my diaspora colleagues continue to face language barriers, cultural differences, having to navigate unfamiliar systems and employment practices. Yet they bring a wealth of diverse experiences and perspectives to our practice and workplaces.
Their ability to empathise with clients from similar cultural backgrounds, respect for the elderly, expertise in community work and their understanding of cultural and linguistic nuances can serve to enrich our work with different communities.
Unfortunately, some anti-migrant political rhetoric and sensationalist media narratives threatens to overshadow these contributions and creates an environment that may seep into workplaces and communities. This can create additional challenges for overseas social workers and legitimises discrimination.
This can also be exacerbated with language that can sometimes cause misconceptions about our capabilities and intentions that can in turn, erode trust and cooperation within teams.
The Diaspora Special Interest Group was formed during the pandemic in 2020 by members of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), some of whom were qualified overseas.
Together we aim to:
- Advocate for the voice and interest of diaspora or overseas social workers.
- Promote best practice standards for the recruitment and retention of diaspora social workers.
- Promote the development of support networks for diaspora social workers.
We wanted to offer a unique space for understanding and camaraderie that comes from connecting with peers who share similar cultural experiences and feelings of their migration and professional journeys and who wish to provide practical advice and support to others during these difficult times.
The need to challenge and reframe this negative rhetoric must not go unheard and our work aims to celebrate the contributions of diaspora social workers to the profession and our communities.
An open access event on 18 March by the College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences and Brunel University explored the experiences of diaspora social workers and the challenges they face. It is important we raise awareness of those who have migrated from overseas to practice in the UK.
We recognise the invaluable contributions of diaspora social workers and by extension, the Global Majority, in promoting inclusion and a supportive work environment that fosters diversity and cultural understanding, providing opportunities for cross-cultural training and education for all staff.
If you are interested in knowing more about the Diaspora Special Interest Group contact diaspora@baswnetwork.co.uk.
Together we can share our experiences, celebrate our successes, and foster resilience, solidarity and community in the face of unprecedented challenges.