Social workers body discourages members from taking up age assessment role at Home Office body, alleging risk of “political priorities intruding on professional objectivity”

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) has said that it is discouraging its members, as well as other social workers, from applying for, or taking up age assessment roles in the National Age Assessment Board (NAAB).

Following the implementation of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, the responsibility for age assessments will gradually move from local authorities to the NAAB.

Sharing its concerns, BASW said that since the National Age Assessment Board is part of the Home Office and “therefore accountable to the Home Secretary”, this could lead to age assessment work being “influenced by political priorities such as reducing immigration”.

It suggested this could have “worrying implications for child welfare”.

BASW Chief Executive Ruth Allen said: “The Home Office directly employing social workers to carry out age assessments of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is a risk to professional objectivity and could compromise the judgment of social workers.”

Referring to comments made by the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, that individuals pretend to be child asylum seekers to exploit the system, Allen said: “Previous statements by the Home Secretary have undermined confidence that age assessments could be carried out in a Home Office agency that is free from political interference.”

In a statement to Community Care, a Home Office spokesperson said: “Age assessments are challenging but vital to identifying genuine asylum-seeking children and [stopping] abuse of the system. We are taking steps to prevent adults claiming to be children, or children being wrongly treated as adults – as both present serious safeguarding risks to children.

“The National Age Assessment Board’s assessments and members of staff will be distinct from the Home Office’s asylum and immigration decision-making functions. The best interests of children and the aim of achieving accurate age assessments will be the primary consideration.”

Lottie Winson