General meetings of members of the Association are the means by which members hold Council (BASW’s Directors) to account, vote in new Council members, accept audited accounts and vote upon constitutional issues as well of matters of policy and strategy.
An Annual General Meeting of members is held in the spring or summer of each year and Additional General Meetings can be called from time to time.
Latest updates
BASW Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2024
The AGM will take place on Wednesday 5 June 2024 via an online platform (link to join will be shared following registration of attendance) commencing at 5.00pm to finish by 7.00pm.
AGM ordinary resolutions and proxy voting
Ordinary resolution 1
Receive the report of the Auditors and the Statement of Accounts for the period 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023
Ordinary resolution 2
Reappoint the Auditors for 2024.
Proxy votes must be received no later than 5pm Monday 3 June 2024 to count towards votes.
Vote now (member login required)
Formal notice
This is the formal notice for the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM is an opportunity for us to report back on our work and for members to be involved in decisions about priorities for the future. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday 5 June 2024 via an online platform (link to join will be shared following registration of attendance) commencing at 5.00pm to finish by 7.00pm.
Booking details will be sent out via the e-bulletins and will be on the events page of the website from 1 February 2024
A Full Voting Member (including SWU and any other Organisational Member) is entitled to appoint another person as their proxy to exercise all or any of their rights to attend, speak and vote at the meeting. A proxy must vote in accordance with any instructions given by the appointing Full Voting Member.
Proxies may only validly be appointed by a proxy notice in writing which:
- states the name and address of the Full Voting Member appointing the proxy
- identifies the person appointed to be that Full Voting Member’s proxy and the meeting in relation to which that person is appointed
- is signed by or on behalf of the Full Voting Member appointing the proxy and is delivered to the Association in accordance with the Articles and this notice
forms which appoint a proxy will be made available on the BASW 2024 AGM webpage
If you need any assistance, please email governance@basw.co.uk
BASW UK and International Policy and Ethics General Meeting
The BASW UK and International Policy and Ethics General Meeting will take place on Tuesday 30 April 2024 via an online platform (link to join will be shared following registration of attendance), commencing at 1.00pm to finish by 5.00pm, this General Meeting will no longer have an in person option for attendance.
Motions and proxy voting
Motion 1: National Standing Committee – Northern Ireland
That this General Meeting calls for urgent action by the Northern Ireland Executive to implement: a Northern Ireland anti-poverty strategy, the recommendations of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, and the Department of Health’s safe staffing in social work policy guidance. This General Meeting also calls for the introduction of legislation for safe staffing for social work at the earliest opportunity.
Motion 2: Black Country Branch
This General mandates BASW UK to campaign for improvements to children and adult social care, qualitatively and quantitatively, and for improved finances including for staffing salaries, training and structural developments. We are concerned that a recent Institute for Public Policy Research, a thinktank close to Labour, identifies a Ten-year programme needed to begin to reverse the post 2010 austerity cuts.
We note that, in many local authorities, children’s and adult social care are now the main expenditures in local authorities. We note a recent Local Government Association survey identifying that a fifth of Councils may issue s114 (‘Bankruptcy’) notices by the end of 2024.
We call on BASW to focus, by itself or with other bodies, coming up to the 2024 General Election and beyond, on Social Care as a whole and particularly for the resources to be found in the first five-year term of the next government to properly resource social care. We also call upon BASW to engage members and be open and transparent in its decision making on how it progresses this mandated policy, with regular updates to the membership on the progress of this work.
Book you place for the BASW UK and International Policy and Ethics General Meeting
Registration for the meeting will close at 6.00pm on Monday 29 April
Formal notice
This is the formal notice to notify a change for the 2024 UK & International Policy & Ethics General Meeting (GM). The GM is an opportunity for members to come together to discuss and deliberate key issues and to provide members raising policy-related ideas and motions with a valuable forum for fuller debate and discussion. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend..
The meeting will take place on Tuesday 30 April 2024 via an online platform (link to join will be shared following registration of attendance) commencing at 1.00pm to finish by 5.00pm, this General Meeting will no longer have an in person option for attendance.
Registration is now open. To book a place at the 2024 UK & International Policy & Ethics General Meeting visit: www.basw.co.uk/events
Motions proposed for membership voting can be found at www.basw.co.uk/agm-and-general-meetings. For those who cannot attend the meeting a proxy vote may be cast. A Full Voting Member (including SWU and any other Organisational Member) is entitled to appoint another person as their proxy to exercise all or any of their rights to attend, speak and vote at the meeting. A proxy must vote in accordance with any instructions given by the appointing Full Voting Member.
Proxies may only validly be appointed by a proxy notice in writing which:
- states the name and address of the Full Voting Member appointing the proxy
- identifies the person appointed to be that Full Voting Member’s proxy and the meeting in relation to which that person is appointed
- is signed by or on behalf of the Full Voting Member appointing the proxy and is delivered to the Association in accordance with the Articles and this notice
- forms which appoint a proxy will be made available on the BASW 2024 UK & International Policy & Ethics GM webpage
If you need any assistance, please email governance@basw.co.uk
Extraordinary General Meeting
Thank you to all those that took part in the EGM on the 20 December 2023. The meeting was declared quorate with 105 proxy notices submitted and with 23 full voting members in attendance at the beginning of the meeting.
The voting results carried the Special Resolution with 109 voting for the amendments, 16 voting against and 3 abstaining. Meaning 85% voted in favour of the changes.
View the resolution details here. (member only, please log in first)
BASW AGM inclusion guidance
Joining the AGM
BASW UK tries to be inclusive of all attendees and in the previous four years have offered both an in person an online experience.
Accessibility
In person: BASW UK focus strongly on accessibility and inclusivity with all in-person and online meetings. The BASW Events team make early planning considerations to optimise the successful delivery of their events.
- Information on accessible transport routes/nearby hotels/nearby restaurants
- Accessible entrances/bathrooms/seating
- Food requirements via online booking
- Accessible resources and documents for the event/meeting
- Wheelchair-accessible seating and paths throughout the space
Online: We will open comments and monitor chat during the online event and aim to share engagement with the conference speakers. Closed captions can be enabled by individual viewers. All online delegates will not have mic / camera functionality, any comments must be made via the chat facility.
Asking questions at the AGM
After each motion, there will be an opportunity to speak or comment.
In person: Fill in written slip with name and topic; this will go to the Chair who will invite you to speak from your seat with the mic brought to you.
Online: Please put your questions in the chat; it will be forwarded to the chair to answer.
Member Guidance on submitting motions
General Meetings (GMs) provide BASW members with an opportunity to influence the future of BASW and social work by submitting motions – a motion is a proposal from members that BASW endorses and/or takes action on an issue.
View guidance for members: How to write and submit motions to BASW’s annual general meeting. (Member login required)
Proposing motions
Proposer will speak in person in the room for two minutes. Seconder can speak for one minute or use show of hand to second.
Speaking on motions
Speakers have one minute to speak on a motion, here is how to request to speak:
In person: Fill in the slip available from staff with your name and the motion number; this will go to the Chair who will invite you to speak from your seat with the mic brought to you.
Online: Please put full comment in chat marked as Response to Motion Number X; it will be forwarded to the Chair and read out. If you know that you will not be attending the meeting in person and want to speak on a motion, you can nominate someone in the room to speak for you.
Speaking on motions - advance comments
The chat will be open online for discussion between members so that you can debate the motions. Please view this and engage as you would like.
Voting
In person: show of hands in the room, unless close and poll count called.
Online: Online voting will be via polls, please follow the instructions.
The count will be given to the Chair to announce the result unless proxies are needed, in which case there will be a delay and the result will be given as soon as possible.
Non-members are welcome to attend and view the BASW AGM, however please note only BASW members can engage, vote or comment on motions.
Process for voting on Amendment
The original motion will be proposed and seconded to start with.
- Then the amendment will be proposed and seconded, and discussed. The proposer of the motion has a right to speak at the end of the discussion on the amendment, however the proposer of the amendment does not.
- The amendment is then voted on and, if it is agreed, it replaces the original motion. If the amendment is not agreed, then the original motion remains.
- There is then discussion and voting on the motion in line with above for online and in person guidance.
If you have any questions, please contact the events team at events@basw.co.uk