Online Reporter
Macdonald Chimbizi in MANCHESTER
ZIMBABWE-TRAINED social worker, Priscilla Kurewa, has been elected Chair of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Council.
The association is the professional body for over 22,000 social workers across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Kurewa won a three-way contest against Fran Fuller and Cath Gormally.
Before assuming the helm, Priscilla has a rich history and experience spanning different roles in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom.
She trained and lectured in social work in Zimbabwe, helping to train a generation of practitioners, before relocating to the United Kingdom in 2003.
Her career in the UK has been centred on children’s services leadership.
Most recently, she was Strategic Lead for the national Families First Partnership Programme at Bracknell Forest Council from September 2025 to March 2026, leading a regional redesign of family support. Before that, she was Head of Service for Front Door and Youth Justice at the London Borough of Merton from January to October 2025.
She was reporting directly to the Director of Children’s Services. Earlier, she served as Assistant Director for Safeguarding and Youth Justice at Harrow Council from April to August 2024.
She also had senior roles in Hounslow and Barking and Dagenham.Since September 2024, she has chaired the Board of Trustees of the Social Workers’ Benevolent Trust, the charity that supports social workers facing hardship.
In an interview with BASW on August 27, Kurewa said the Trust role had highlighted welfare challenges within the profession itself.
“You cannot talk about brilliant services without talking about the wellbeing of the people actually delivering them,” she said.
Kurewa said she wants BASW to be unmistakably member-led and to reconnect leadership with frontline practice. “I want the social worker carrying a heavy caseload in Birmingham, Belfast, Cardiff or Glasgow to actually know what BASW is doing for them.
“I also want to find again some of that courage that inspired me all those years ago – speaking clearly on social justice, inequality and human rights.”
Outgoing chair Julia Ross said:
“Social work needs a strong professional association to thrive and I am confident that Priscilla will bring energy, vigour and creativity to this role.”
Interim chief executive, Samantha Baron, said the organisation is in a pivotal phase following its Big Conversation consultation and is targeting 50 percent membership growth by 2030.
“We are thrilled to welcome Priscilla at such an exciting and pivotal moment for BASW,” she said.
Kurewa will serve alongside Patriche Bentick as elected director and Carlene Cornish as chair of the international committee.
