SWU Assignment: World Social Work Day Essay Competition 2024
Each year the Social Workers Union seeks to challenge and engage students and apprentices with the SWU Assignment — an essay competition for World Social Work Day in which we pose questions about current issues in social work.
The competition is open to Social Work Students undertaking an Undergraduate or Post Graduate Social Work Degree in the UK and to Social Work Apprentices. Up to four of the most compelling arguments within the word limit of 750-1000 words will win a grant of £500 each.
We will be accepting SWU Assignment entries from Tuesday 19th March 2024, and the competition will close for entries at end of day Sunday 16th June 2024. All completed assignments will be judged by a Panel.
The SWU Assignment question for 2024 is:
“Why does reflective supervision matter in social work? How does it support social worker wellbeing and practice?”
Click here to see the flyer with the 2024 competition details.
John McGowan, General Secretary of SWU, said,
“I have been impressed at the deep levels of understanding that social work students and apprentices have demonstrated in the SWU Assignment essay competition over the years, and delighted at the level of engagement they continue to have within our union. I’m proud to say that a previous SWU Assignment winner is currently a member of the SWU Executive Committee and it is a privilege to work with them.
Recent research by SWU and Bath Spa University has highlighted the importance of reflective supervision as support for social workers in the successful pursuit of their role, but many social workers we spoke to have said it is often delivered as a tick box exercise and has not been designed to support their development. I look forwards to hearing the views of future social workers in their SWU Assignment essays on why reflective supervision matters and how it can enrich our practice and profession as a whole.”
Previous SWU Assignment winners
Are you interested in reading the brilliant essays that have impressed the panel judges in previous years? Here is a list of all the winning SWU Assignment essays to date: