University social work researchers contribute to anti-racism action plan

Dr Natalia Farmer, Assistant Head of Social Work at Glasgow Caledonian University, was one of the key researchers involved in developing Scotland’s first action plan to combat racism in social work.

The Scottish Government and the Scottish Association of Social Work (SASW) and sector partners established the Social Work Anti-Racism Oversight Group in 2023 to tackle systemic racism in social work – and Dr Natalia Farmer has provided her expertise.

The Oversight Group commissioned a groundbreaking national survey on anti-racism in social work that was published on August 15, along with an action plan to address racism within the profession and foster more equitable and inclusive social work in Scotland. IRISS, a charity that promotes positive outcomes for people who use Scotland’s social services, carried out the survey.

The Anti-Racism Action Plan for the Scottish Social Work Sector provides advice and resources to help employers cultivate an anti-racist workplace culture and to support social workers and those who use services who have experienced racism.

This plan will create lasting change by improving incident management, embedding anti-racist policies, breaking workforce barriers to ensure a more inclusive profession and promoting cultural competence.

And it will enable meaningful progress across the sector by fostering a culture of zero tolerance for racism, supporting diverse leadership representation, and refining recruitment and retention practices.

The next step is to establish an implementation group to deliver the Action Plan’s outcomes. The group’s priority will be to develop toolkits to support organisations and individuals across the sector to embed anti-racist practice in a meaningful and sustainable way.

Dr Natalia Farmer, who is also Lecturer and International and Equality and Diversity Lead, said: “Being part of the Social Work Anti-Racism Oversight Group is deeply meaningful to me — both as an academic and as someone committed to equity in social work.

“It is a space where I can bring intersectional research into real-world policy conversations, helping to shape a profession that recognises and responds to the complexity of lived experience.

“Contributing expert advice to the Anti-Racism Action Plan is a vital step toward confronting structural inequalities and ensure that anti-racism is central to how we educate and lead in social work.”

Dr Farmer’s expertise lies in advancing anti-racist policy and practice through research, curriculum development, and strategic consultation. She is committed to embedding equity and accountability across the social work profession.

To read the action plan and survey visit https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836919537 and No room for racism: anti-racism survey report (pdf).