SWU Executive Committee
Dave Callow – SWU Chair & England Representative
Dave Callow has been a qualified social worker for seven years with extensive experience in child and family practice. He has also overseen the day to day running of a young person’s supported accommodation homelessness project before moving into higher education as a senior lecturer in social work. Dave is programme lead for the MSc in Social Work route at the University of Lincoln, this being the same degree and institution he previously experienced himself as a student.
Dave is a dedicated trade union activist with specialist interests in the Labour Party, social policy, and the social worker’s value base in practice. He joined SWU in 2018, achieved his Union Contact status in 2019 and then progressed to the executive committee in 2020 before being elected as SWU Chair in 2022.
Dave is currently working on projects to decolonise the curriculum in social work education as well as how social work practice placements can better meet the needs of international students. Dave is a socialist and believes that social workers are well positioned in society to be agents of change. His favourite quote is “for the many, not the few”.
Chrissie Beatty – SWU Vice Chair & UK Representative
Chrissie Beatty graduated from Bournemouth University in 2018 with a BA Hons in Social Work and she was also awarded the Vice Chancellors Undergraduate Prize for outstanding achievement. Whilst at university, Chrissie entered the SWU Assignment: World Social Work Day Student Essay Competition where she wrote a winning essay on ‘How social workers can solve austerity’.
Chrissie joined SWU in 2018 and soon became a Union Contact, spreading the word about SWU within the Local Authority, as well as the university where she gives talks to students about social work practice and social justice. She is currently part of integrated NHS team, specialising in Older People’s Mental Health, having previously worked in a General Hospital team and an Adult’s Locality team.
Chrissie’s parents were Trade Unionists, which fuelled her passion for social justice. As well as her enthusiasm for promoting workers’ rights, Chrissie is a strong advocate for the LGBT community and Women’s rights, particularly in relation to safety.
As a mother to four boys, Chrissie doesn’t have much spare time, but when she does, she enjoys rugby and crime dramas – her favourite detective is Vera!
Chrissie’s favourite quote comes from P B Shelley’s ‘The Masque of Anarchy’,
`Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number,
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you —
Ye are many — they are few.’
Gerry Madden – Northern Ireland Representative & Honorary Treasurer
Gerry Madden began his social work career in 1978 as a Trainee Social Worker leading to gaining his CQSW at Aberdeen University in 1983. He is also a practicing Approved Social Worker since 1989 and obtained the Practice Teacher Award in 1991. Gerry practiced throughout the period of the conflict in the North of Ireland known as the ‘troubles’ and has many experiences of violent situations, culminating sadly in the bombing of his home town Omagh in 1998 resulting in the death of 29 people and unborn twins, the greatest loss of life in a single incident during this period.
Whilst the early part of his career was child care focused, Gerry has spent the past 35 years working in mental health services and is currently involved as an Approved Social Worker in undertaking work relating to the introduction of new Mental Capacity legislation. He has been a member of BASW for almost 40 years, joining BASW Council in 2009 and he was present at the inaugural meeting of the Social Workers Union in 2011. Gerry has served continuously on the SWU Executive since that time, also undertaking the role of Honorary Treasurer.
On a personal level, Gerry’s priority is family life including his two beloved Scottish Terriers, Lily and Katy! He is an Insulin Dependent diabetic for 40 years and has a passionate interest in Gaelic football. Living and working in a divided society all his life, he remains inspired by this quote from the late John Hume – “Difference is the essence of humanity. Difference is an act of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity.”
Allison Hulmes – Wales Representative
Allison Hulmes is a Welsh Romani social work academic and co-founder of the Romani & Traveller Social Work Association. Allison has been a social worker for 25 years and has practiced in adult safeguarding/deprivation of liberty safeguards and as a therapeutically trained social worker, with a focus on strengthening families.
Allison is a social work activist, her primary focus is radical transformation in social work practice with Romani and Traveller citizens, working to address anti Romani and anti Traveller racism in all its manifestations, so that Romani and Traveller people can flourish in their diverse ethnic and cultural identities.
Allison’s Welsh Romani family have an unbroken line in Wales, tracing back to the early 1700’s and she is active in preserving their Welsh Kale dialect along with her family heritage, for future generations, as a fundamental human right to access one’s indigenous language and stories, as a means of continuing ethnic identity, culture, and history. Allison has recently developed resources about her Welsh Romani family, for the new schools curriculum in Wales and is writing a children’s fiction, to ensure that children are taught from authentic resources developed by Welsh Romani, from lived and living experience, as an active process of decolonization, inclusion and representation.
Ann Marie Hayes – England Representative
Ann Marie Hayes is a registered social worker who is also qualified as a systemic psychotherapist and holds a masters level teaching qualification specially designed for university teaching staff. Ann Marie is currently researching Critical Reflection in social work practice, a research interest generated through a working life spent supporting marginalised, vulnerable and/or oppressed individuals and communities in a range of settings. She enjoys exploring theories to enhance practice wisdom.
Ann Marie’s work experience has included Youth and Play Work roles, and managing both an Adventure Playground and a Probation Hostel, and covering shifts in Secure Units and Residential Children’s Homes. As a qualified social worker, she has focused on Children and Families work in specialist teams undertaking all aspects of assessment and referral, Child in Need, Child Protection, Court, Looked After Children, Youth Justice, Leaving Care, Inclusion, and Therapeutic work. She also developed and managed a Family Support Service, and offered (reflective) practice support as a Professional Educator.
Ann Marie joined the SWU Executive in 2020 and continues to be inspired by the increasing breadth and depth of work the union undertakes to meet the specific professional needs of social workers in the UK. She is committed to challenging the inequalities impacting both service users and the social workers working alongside them. Ann Marie has a longstanding interest in ethics, social justice and human rights work affecting local and global communities and in the power of resistance to bring about social change and social cohesion. She is particularly passionate about Palestinian Solidarity and bringing Noam Chomsky’s words to life: ‘we do not become activists; we simply forget that we are.’ Ann Marie plays Irish Traditional music, writes, cooks, travels and local community work, acknowledging how these feature in narratives of resistance everywhere.
Edith Till – Student / NQSW Representative
Edith Till: I am a mature student transitioning to a new career after 20 years in the creative design and wedding photography industry. Over time, I developed a community art group aimed at enhancing community well-being through family-centred public venues. This experience, along with encouragement from professional friends, inspired me to pursue a Social Work degree.
As a disabled student, I hope to use my personal experiences to inspire both my peers and service users. Attending various Social Work conferences inspired me to apply for a Social Work Ambassador role at BASW. I involved in organising the BASW Student Conference 2023 and participated as a student panel member. I also engaged in GFTU’s education training and wrote several articles that published. Additionally, I won a trip to the Miner’s Gala, where I marched as part of the GFTU/SWU student delegation.
Currently, I serve as Class Rep for my Social Work cohort at the University of Bedfordshire and actively contribute to the Social Work Society by organising events, trips, and guest speaker sessions. Being elected to the Student Executive feels like a natural progression, allowing me to contribute to positive changes within the profession such as Disability Student and Staff support improvement. While I may have limited practical social work experience, I am eager to learn from more experienced colleagues and bring my transferable skills (such as digital design) to the role as a SWU Student Ambassador.
Innocent Sibana – UK Representative
Innocent Sibana: I qualified as a Social Worker in 2012 and worked for Dorset County Council, in Christchurch, as an adult Social Worker for 5 years. I did locum work for a year and joined Hampshire County Council, working in Basingstoke, leaving end of February 2020. I joined my current employer, Bournemouth Christchurch Poole (BCP) Council in March 2020 as adult Social Worker before assuming my current role as a Team manager in August 2023, initially at Bournemouth East Team and Royal Bournemouth Hospital as from November 2023.
I have done numerous trainings including placement educator and Best Interest Assessor. I have a keen interest in working with adults who self-neglect/hoard. Before becoming a Social Worker, I trained and worked as a high school teacher in Zimbabwe between 1993 and 1997. I was involved in the formation of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe in 1997, worked in various positions in the union and ultimately became its fulltime National Coordinator in 2000.
Working as a frontline unionist in the tough terrain of Zimbabwe in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I gained a lot of knowledge and experience which can be valuable to my work in SWU. This pertains to membership building, mobilising members in campaigns/ projects meant to engender greater social justice and embedding unionism.
James Birchall – UK Representative
James Birchall is a founding member of SWU. He was elected as SWU President for a total of five and a half years between 2012-2020 – this was during the time that the President was also the Chair. He was then appointed as the first Honorary President of SWU by the SWU Executive Committee.
James served on BASW Council for 18 years and is a former Honorary Treasurer of BASW. For many years he was vice-chair of the Oxford branch of BASW. He has extensive experience of social work entering the profession in 1970. Prior to this he worked and trained as a journalist. He led the Working Conditions Campaign to Parliament and delivered a presentation on this to the IFSW Conference in Vienna. James is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
James is very fond of cats. He has two Turkish Van Cats. This is a rare, ancient and very beautiful breed of cats. He is vice-chair of the Turkish Van Cat Club. The President of which is Lord Andrew Lloyd Weber. His other interests include motor racing, beer and curries. He was once described as the sort of Socialist that believes everyone should have a Ferrari.
You can read more about James and the union’s history in his reflective blog for SWU’s 10th Anniversary Celebration in 2021.
Nana Yabbey-Hagan – UK Representative
Nana Yabbey-Hagan is a Qualified Social Worker for Children and Families of 10 years. Nana is currently a Team Manager for a Looked After Children’s Team, previously a Team Manager for a frontline Children Protection Team, a Practice Educator for Bachelor’s, Master’s, Step Up Students/ASYE assessor for Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW), University Lecturer & Mentor for Social Workers and Students.
As a University Lecturer, Nana lectures at London Metropolitan University, Brunel University & Anglia Ruskin. He provides mentoring to Social Workers and Students
Nana has founded the Street Social Work Practice Model and is current Co-Host of the Social Worker and The Mentor Podcast, which is on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Spotify, Twitter and has hosted live podcast events.
Nana was born in Carshalton, South London and raised in North West London. Nana comes from a family background in Social Work with his mother working in Social Care and siblings both Social Workers in Child Protection. His first post in the sector was a young person advocate for family group conferencing at age 16.
Nana is the BASW Journalism Awards Winner for his co-hosted Social Worker and The Mentor Podcast in June 2024, nominated for twice for the BASW amazing Social Workers in March 2024 and is a finalist for the MBCC awards professional of the year award 2024.
Nana gives credit to his parents and grandparents for supporting him in becoming a social worker and hopes to create and leave a positive legacy in the profession.
Rebecca Austin – UK Representative
Rebecca Austin: My learning outside of Social Work roles has been a central factor in my own development as a practitioner, both guiding and bringing me back to the core interests, beliefs and values I hold as a practitioner. Central to this is keeping in mind an understanding of how people arrived at their current position and the challenges faced by those accessing services. As a practitioner I aim to work alongside people in a kind and respectful manner, understanding that reaching out for support is a big step.
I am someone who has a love for learning about and understanding different communities and practices and have been fortunate through my role on the SWU Executive Committee to participate in knowledge exchange trips. This has included visiting Palestine in 2020 and most recently Canada in October 2023, spending time with organisations working with the First Nations population, advocating for their rights and the support offered within therapeutic treatment centres. I was particularly struck by how the values weaved through the organisations we visited, these centred around Hope, Belonging, Meaning and Purpose as a framework for practice.
Having such experiences reignites a passion for working within organisations with a clear mission, goals and values and has been a driver in my desire to most recently take a role within a third sector organisation. It brings me back to my motivations for entering Social Work having volunteered with Home-Start as a young mum myself and reminds me how inspired I feel when visiting or being part of such organisations. What I see, feel and experience is a passion, drive and inventive support for the communities and people they serve.
Scott Richardson – UK Representative
Scott Richardson has worked in adult social care for roughly ten years, working his way from administrative roles, through to completing his social work degree. Scott has worked in various roles including reablement services, mental health, community, and hospital social work teams. Scott is extremely driven in advocating for social justice, human rights, and trade unionism. He actively challenges discrimination, oppression, and exclusion through empowerment and education of others, whether this is the people and families he works alongside, or other colleagues.
Scott is a finalist in the social worker of the year awards in the student category for his efforts and activism for equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Scott has lobbied at Westminster meeting with MPs and chairs of all party parliamentary groups to advocate for the social work profession through the lens of EDI, looking at the impacts and barriers of student experiences in social work education. Scott holds a post as a student ambassador at the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) where he is leading on a co-produced EDI student experience survey to help improve the experiences of social work students. Scott is a committee member on the BASW EDI advisory group where he acts as a critical friend for BASW. Scott sits on the committee for the BASW neurodivergent social workers special interest group where he was involved in co-producing the SWU neurodivergent social workers employee pledge which was created to help create inclusive, educational, and work environments for neurodivergent students. Scott has also developed and provided workshops on neurodiversity in social work at universities, and at practice educator conferences.
Scott joined SWU following some personal experiences of disability discrimination and was supported by SWU to overcome these barriers. Following this Scott has become a SWU Union Contact where he promotes the union and supports other employees in finding support and advice.
Tina Peterson – Scotland Representative
Tina Peterson joined SWU and BASW in 2017 as she recognised the importance of being a member of a dedicated Trade Union for Social Workers. Tina is also a SWU Union Contact.
In her early career Tina trained as a Mental Health Nurse, and post qualifying worked in the NHS. She returned to Higher Education as a mature social work student in 2010; and as Mum, Wife and Carer found the experience hugely challenging and rewarding in equal measure. Tina says she was extremely proud achieving her BA (Hons) Social Work degree.
As a Carer, Tina has a special interest in Carers’ issues as she recognises the challenges, demands and inequalities they face in society. She frequently campaigns to raise awareness and give Carers a voice. Recently Tina co-lead on a SWU campaign to highlight the lack of part-time roles for social workers, who for reasons such as caring, family/personal health issues, or near retirement, may want/need to work part-time.
During the Pandemic, Tina registered with the Blood Donor Service and was advised that as an ‘O Negative’ blood group donor she is “A First Responder”, “The Lifeblood of the Emergency Services”, which makes her feel very lucky and pleased to be such a donor.
Tina said, “I am proud to be a SWU member, Union Contact, and an active Executive Committee member; for me it works both ways; I have learned so much, and SWU has helped me develop and grow as a Social Worker.”
SWU Staff
John McGowan, General Secretary
John McGowan (MSc, BA, BSc, DipSW, FRSA) initially served on the UK Council for BASW as a non-Executive Director between 2008 – 2012 before moving to the post of Vice President of SWU 2012 – 2016. He also served on the Scottish Association of Social Workers (SASW) Executive Committee 2004 – 2014 and latterly as its Depute Convenor. John was elected as General Secretary of SWU in 2016 for a 5-year period and re-elected unopposed in 2021. John is active with the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) and presently he sits on their National Executive Committee.
John is also the Practice Tutor for the Open University Social Work Degree programme in Scotland working with undergraduate and post graduate social work students in placement.
Since qualifying as a Social Worker in the 1990s, John has predominately worked in the field of Children and Families, Fostering Adoption, Training Officer and still holds his social work registration.
John is proud of his working-class upbringing where he was brought up in the Muirhouse housing estate in Edinburgh, which is regarded as one of the most deprived areas in Scotland. John’s early experiences of Social Work were through his family as his parents were active Foster Carers in Edinburgh and fostered over 100 children.
John is the co-author (with Prof Neil Thompson) of the successful book How to Survive in Social Work (2020) and has contributed widely to a range of additional media work, publications, journals and research. John received a fellowship for his contribution to Social Work and Social Care in 2021 from the Royal Society of Arts.
Calum Gallacher, Assistant General Secretary
Calum Gallacher comes from a strong working class background, growing up on a council estate in Glasgow. He was a serial non-attender of school, had an allocated social worker, and left with no qualifications.
Over the past 24 years he has had a varied career in health and social care, has been a qualified Social Worker since 2008, and has worked in voluntary services, clinical settings, and many community teams across the UK. His main interests in field work are with people with learning disabilities, mental health difficulties, and older adult mental health.
Calum is committed to safeguarding people who are disadvantaged and more likely to experience complex difficulties because of conditions or socio-economic inequalities. With his strong identity as a Social Worker, and class consciousness as a Trade Unionist, he is dedicated to principles of empowerment, equality, and social justice for all. He is determined to support SWU in improving working conditions for social workers.
Jessie Hoskin, National Organiser and Union Contact Manager
Jessie Hoskin started work at 19 as a single mum, then started her career 6 years later at the same time as starting university. This experience, plus growing up in a single parent family on benefits, shaped Jessie’s politics. Her first job 5 years later was as one of the founding members of the Workers Transformed Political Education Festival.
Since then, Jessie has worked in MPs’ offices, helping people through welfare cuts, including the introduction of Universal Credit. Wanting to make change locally as well as nationally, Jessie became a District Councillor in 2021 and was the only council house tenant to be elected.
Jessie then worked on employment campaigns, first with disabled people for charity and then as director of Zero Hours Justice, working alongside people in insecure jobs. This experience has made Jessie passionate about getting people with lived experience properly involved. Jessie believes strongly in the power of organizing for a world where people don’t just have the basics, but where everyone can thrive.
In her spare time, Jessie enjoys long walks, especially the ones that end at country pubs.
Joanne Marciano, Administration Manager
Joanne Marciano is the Administration Manager for the Social Workers Union. She is responsible for the management of HR, Payroll, Finance & Governance Administration and Events.
Joanne joined the SWU staff in January 2016 after working in the care industry for 5 years in various roles including Human Resources, Training, Finance and Operations Management.
Joanne has a Diploma of Higher Education in Psychology, a Level 3 Award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Sector (PTLLS) and a Level 3 Certificate in Human Resources Practice. Joanne has also recently achieved the AAT Foundation Certificate in Accounting – Level 2 and is currently studying for the AAT Advanced Diploma in Accounting – Level 3.
In her spare time, Joanne enjoys spending time with her family, socialising with friends, reading and building Lego sets. Her favourite film quote is “Happiness Can Be Found Even in The Darkest Of Times, If One Only Remembers To Turn On The Light.”
Shawn Major, Communications, Media, and Engagement Officer
Dr Shawn Major is a Canadian who now calls the UK her home. She earned her PhD in Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University and has a background in content management, social media management, communications, and marketing. Shawn joined the SWU staff in 2021 as the union’s first dedicated Communications, Media, and Engagement Officer.
Shawn is glad to have found a role in which she can continue supporting social workers and the important work that they do. She has previously worked as a Content Manager for the UK branch of the Erasmus+ EPALE programme, and for the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation which is a Canadian non-profit supporting social workers in First Nations and Inuit communities.
She is passionate about social justice and her favourite quote is from Helen Todd’s 1910 speech demanding “bread for all, and roses too”. This call for dignity, respect, and quality of life – along with intersectionality – underpins her equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) ethos.
In her spare time Shawn enjoys knitting, baking, and all things science fiction.