Further details of the SWAN NE Conference in Middlesbrough are below, including details of  the morning Youth and Community Workshop.

If you have difficulties booking online, please make your booking by e-mail and pay on the day. swannortheast@gmail.com

SWAN NE Conference

Sat. 17 November, 9.30 to 16.30

Practising in a Cold Climate:

Social Work, Youth & Community Work in the North under attack from the new regional policies

Centuria Building, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BA

The inaugural Social Work Action Network North East Conference will take place at the School of Health and Social Care,Teesside University, Middlesbrough on Saturday 17th November 2012. Conference will run from 09:30 to 16:30 and lunch will be provided. Entry fees are £20 for those waged, £10 for students and free for those who are unwaged.

An initial session will consider the Government’s assault on the English Northern regions in particular with a focus on regional vulnerabilities in terms of attacks on the regions with higher proportions of public sector employment. Michael Lavalette (National Convenor, Social Work Action Network), Iain Ferguson (SWAN) and Sarah Banks (In Defence of Youth Work and SWAN) will be speaking.

MORNING WORKSHOP, 11.00 TO 12.30

Youth and Community Work in a climate of austerity

Facilitator, Sarah Banks

1.    ‘Reclaiming radical community development’, Sue Robson, freelance researcher and feminist community activist.

2.    ‘In whose interest? Action research on debt in poor households’, Kath Carter, lead community organiser, Thrive, Stockton and Sarah Banks, Centre for Social Justice and Community Action Durham University.

3.    ‘Individualisation of work with young people: Current challenges in the move from Youth Work to case work through targeting, commissioning and payment by results’, organised by ‘In Defence of Youth Work’ & ‘Developing and Defending Youth Work North East’, with Anne Marron, Durham University; Don McDonald, Youth worker, Newcastle; Michael Bell- Youth Work Project Manager, Newcastle; Michael Cudlip, Youth worker/Unison North Tyneside.

So plenty to get one’s teeth into for youth and community workers and a great chance to be with social work colleagues in our space not management’s!