Mystery surrounds chief executive’s departure from social work association

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) today confirmed that suspended chief executive Hilton Dawson will not return to post, but did not reveal any further details about the circumstances of his departure.

Dawson was suspended from the association in September 2011 after allegations were made about his conduct. An independent investigation into the matter was completed in December, but the findings were not made public.

Announcing his official departure today, BASW said the investigation and subsequent mediation process were “confidential personnel matters” and said there would be no further comment from either party at this stage.

In a statement released on BASW’s website, Dawson said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my time as BASW chief executive and believe that I leave the association in a stronger position than ever to move forward and continue to represent the interests of social workers as no other organisation can.

“The past few months have not been easy but I am pleased to be able to leave BASW on good terms and move on to a host of new opportunities.”

BASW chair Fran Fuller said: “I would like to thank Hilton for his contribution to BASW over the past three and a half years, which have been some of the most successful in the history of the association. Despite the difficulties of the past few months, I am pleased that this issue has now been resolved, allowing everyone to move on. I wish Hilton the very best in the future.”

Current acting chief executive Bridget Robb will remain in post while BASW’s council considers the timetable for appointing a new chief executive on a permanent basis.

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