By Charlotte Webster And Bethany Ruby Rose
The shortlist of finalists for the Social Worker of the Year Awards 2018 has been announced after the annual events largest entries since the awards began. The annual awards which celebrates social workers that have had a positive impact on children or adult services have been selected as finalists in 16 categories covering adults’ and children’s services.
The aim of the event is to celebrate the outstanding achievements of social workers and social work teams in the Uk. Represented on the judging panel this year includes those who have received support from social workers , like young people from the Cafcass Young People Family Justice Board and Barnardo’s and representatives from the Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) partnership.
The event recognizes the success of the profession’s most innovative and dedicated social workers. Social work is a highly valued profession which faces enormous challenges, but also presents men and women of outstanding talents and professionalism often hidden in the background whilst the failings of some of the professions worst representatives are put in the public domain. It is an opportunity to value and appreciate the many brilliant social workers that make a notable difference to society through their efforts, sacrifices and contributions.
The winners from each category will also be in contention to be named the ‘overall social worker of the year 2018’.The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony in London in November.The winners from each category will be pited in a competition against one another to be named the ‘Overall Social Worker of the Year 2018’.
The overall winners will be revealed at a prestigious awards ceremony in London in November, which is the leading celebration of its kind in the sector.The event recognizes the success of the profession’s most innovative and dedicated social workers. James Rook, Managing Director of the awards’ headline sponsor, Sanctuary Social Care, said:
“The Social Worker of the Year awards are continuing to grow and thrive and we’re delighted that this year we’ve received our highest number of entries, following on from the success of a record-breaking year in 2017.
“The standard of entries and level of competition is very strong, so all shortlisted nominees should be extremely proud. We look forward to welcoming our finalists and their guests to the awards ceremony in November to celebrate their outstanding achievements in the profession.” The Social Worker of the Year Awards are supported by Headline Sponsor Sanctuary Social Care; Corporate Partner the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), Media Partner The Guardian, and individual category supporters, Barnardo’s, UNISON, Servelec HSC, Children’s Social Work Matters and the London Borough of Lambeth.
The awards are also supported by eight local authorities of North Lincolnshire, Bradford, Devon, Kent, Sunderland, Hampshire and Essex (in partnership with Capita) as well as the Tees Valley Local Authority Child and Adult Services – a partnership between the local authorities of Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Darlington, Redcar & Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees. Peter Hay CBE, Chair of the Social Work Awards charity which organises the awards, added: “We’re incredibly grateful to all of our sponsors for supporting the Social Worker of the Year Awards, as all of this is only made possible thanks to the generosity of the organisations that support us.
James Rook, managing director of Sanctuary Social Care, the headline sponsor of the awards, said: “The awards are continuing to grow and thrive and we’re delighted that this year we’ve received our highest number of entries.
“The standard of entries and level of competition is very strong, so all shortlisted nominees should be extremely proud. We look forward to welcoming our finalists and their guests to the awards ceremony in November.”
Peter Hay CBE, chair of the Social Work Awards charity which organizes the awards, said: “Our aim is to celebrate the outstanding achievements of social workers and social work teams and we’ve been truly humbled by the huge praise coming from people who have benefited from great social work.”
Hay added that he was “delighted” that more people who have been supported by social workers were being represented on this year’s judging panel this year. These include young people from the Cafcass Young People Family Justice Board and Barnardo’s, and representatives from the Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) partnership.
The full finalists’ shortlist is listed below:
Mental Health Social Worker of the Year (supported by Devon County Council)
Chrystell Silas, East Sussex County Council
Jessie Griggs-Smith, Norfolk County Council
Lara Box, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Penny Jackson, Darlington Borough Council
Zoe Williamson, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust / Northumberland County Council
Making a Difference (supported by Tees Valley Local Authority Child and Adult Services)
Eileen Qubain, Heart of Worcestershire College
Izabela Spalding, East London NHS Foundation Trust
Wendy Ashton, Eden Valley Hospice
Student Social Worker of the Year (supported by Bradford Council)
Sian Miljkovic, University of Bedfordshire
Sivanesan Ramamoorthy, The Open University
Victoria Stephenson, Manchester Metropolitan University
Mark McConnell, The University of Huddersfield
Practice Educator of the Year (supported by North Lincolnshire Council)
Emma Goodall, Cornwall Council
Joseph Robb, Darlington Borough Council
Karen Maude, Bradford College
Lorraine Falconer, Croydon Council
Creative & Innovative Social Work Practice (sponsored by Hampshire County Council)
Divisional Based Intervention Team, Essex County Council
Leaving Care Team, North Yorkshire County Council
Love Barrow Families
People From Abroad Team, Norfolk County Council
Rob Manchester, Devon County Council
Super Power Group, Leeds City Council
Best Social Work Employer (Supported by Sanctuary Social Care)
Achieving for Children
Cafcass
Doncaster Children’s Services Trust
Essex County Council
London Borough of Lambeth
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Stockport Family
Team Leader of the Year, Children’s Services (supported by Kent County Council)
Belinda Collingwood, Essex County Council
Jenny Slee. North Somerset Council
Justine Hughes, Oldham Council
Linzi Nicholson, Doncaster Children’s Services Trust
Shaira Makorie, Achieving for Children
Victoria McLeod, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Team Leader of the Year, Adult Services (supported by Sunderland City Council)
Cheri Pearson, Livewell South West
Jane Haywood, Derby City Council
Kelly-Ann Page, Gloucestershire County Council
Nicholas Edwards, Trafford Council
Tracey Bage, South Tyneside Council
Team of the Year, Children’s Services (Supported by the London Borough of Lambeth)
Barnsley Fostering Assessment Team, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Case Management Team, North Lincolnshire Council
Fair Ways Fostering
Hillingdon Young People’s Service, London Borough of Hillingdon
Integrated Multi Agency Partnership, North Lincolnshire Council
North Lincolnshire Adoption Team
Referral and Assessment Team, Achieving for Children
South Essex Family Centre, Essex County Council
Team of the Year, Adult Services (supported by UNISON)
Bath and North East Somerset AMHP Team
Integrated Community Services Team, Shropshire Council
LiveWell Dementia Hub, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Organisational Safeguarding Team, Essex County Council
Richmond and Wandsworth DOLS Team
Complex Review and Transitions, Livewell South West
Newly Qualified Children’s Social Worker of the Year (supported by Children’s Social Work Matters)
Alice Bent, Oxfordshire County Council
Daniel Newman, Essex County Council
Heidi Turtle, Kent County Council
Jessie Turner, Hull City Council
Jessica Raper, East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Simone Oliver, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Tiffany Ridd, Norfolk County Council
Newly Qualified Adult Social Worker of the Year (supported by BASW)
Alexandra Edge, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust / Northumberland County Council
Caroline McCormack, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Claudia Lancashire, Derby City Council
Donna-Marie Wilson, Devon County Council
Kerri Davies, Kent County Council
Nikki Stenning, Devon County Council
Rabbi Deloso, Essex County Council
Rebecca Payne, Gloucestershire County Council
Children’s Social Worker of the Year (supported by Barnardo’s)
Chris Dyas, NSPCC
Kirsteen Lowrie, Southwark Council
Liz Davis, Norfolk County Council
Lucy Jackson, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Owen Chizimba, Essex County Council
Rebecca Healy, Birmingham Children’s Trust
Slavica Todbzic, Central Bedfordshire Council
Theresa Forrester, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Adult Social Worker of the Year (supported by Servelec HSC)
Dan Morton, London Borough of Hillingdon
Jennifer Staude, Westminster City Council
Jess Nesbitt, Gloucestershire County Council
Jo Doughty, Gloucestershire County Council
Louise Redsull, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Lucy Hunt, Devon County Council
Steve Foster, Hampshire County Council
Championing Social Work Values (Supported by Essex County Council in partnership with Capita)
Jenny Slee, North Somerset Council
Karen Pain, Bristol City Council
Sybille Radszun, Southwark Council
Lifetime Achievement Award (supported by BASW)
Gail Faulkner, Leeds City Council
Janet Reed, Ministry of Defence
Jenny Slee, North Somerset Council
Peter Smith, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Tony Wright, Forward Assis
Picture: Social Work Awards