Profiles
11 March
Social workers
12 March
Social workers
- Jake Lucas
- Kai Keers
- Kelly Roser
- Lorraine O'Neill
- Mark Atkins
- Melanie Howells
- Paramjeet Toora
- Samantha Cartwright
- Samantha Willington
- Sophie McGuirk
14 March
Newly qualified social workers
- Beth Lemmer
- Chris Wood
- Gemma Griffiths
- Megan Naylor
- Rebekah Pocock
- Shelly Brierley
- Stephanie Baker
- Wendy Henry
15 March
Team managers
Michelle Pereira
Michelle is a social worker at Bournemouth Council and was nominated by Jade Moore
Michelle is such a great person to have in our team, she is so considerate and genuine with colleagues as well as people she supports. She has a bubbly personality that makes the team smile. Michelle always wants the best for those she works with and is always dedicated to get tasks done. Thankyou Michelle for welcoming me to the team and helping me when needed.
Paula Meanwell
Paula is a social worker at Hull City Council and was nominated by Claire Rutherford
Paula works in a safeguarding team for children and their families and she has a pragmatic and calm approach to her work. Paula offers her support – both emotional and practical to her colleagues, she is an advanced social worker, so her experience is very much relied upon to support those with less experience in the team. She is someone who supports students, mentors and is eager to share her practice wisdom with others.
At the heart of quality social work is building relationships with children and young people. Paula works with children in need of protection where she develops strong relationships with the families she is working with during the most difficult times in their lives. Paula is able to work with parents and their children throughout Court proceedings and she is passionate and motivated to ensuring that children are safeguarded and having their needs met.
Paula will always ensure that she adopts the principles of the Children Act in terms of children remaining with their families. Paula is someone who promotes social justice. An area in which she has been highly commended is where she has supported a number of parents who have a learning disability and require a parenting assessment. Paula has ensured that she has an evidence base for her interventions, that the assessment plans seek to meet need and she has completed quality assessments that support the parents to learn parenting knowledge and skills, so that the needs of their children are well met. This has resulted in her spending quality time with the family to focus on practical parenting skills. Paula embraces the Signs of Safety approach to belonging, she recognises the need to offer early intervention and support, so that children’s sense of belonging is considered from the outset of her assessment work.
Alongside her calm, pragmatic and evidenced based approach, her team have said that she is someone who has a warm, kind and caring approach, so she often gets the very best out of people.
Regina Gallagher
Regina is a social worker at SafeSpace Living Residential Family Assessment Centre and was nominated by Deborah Hill
I am nominating Regina Gallagher as she is the inspirational leader of a new Family Assessment Centre . Regina has created this centre after having the vision and creativity to start an organisation with safeguarding children as the core ethos. Regina aspires to train exceptional staff and offer training in the Social Work degree after completing the relevant NVQ. Regina has also employed qualified social workers with a commitment to providing quality social work experience as part of the ASYE year. We appreciate the skills and knowledge that Regina has brought to the organisation and her commitment to best social work practice.
Sarah Jane Thomson
Sarah is a social worker at Sandwell Children's Trust and was nominated by R Martin
I am nominating SJ as an amazing social worker in recognition of her commitment to rights-based, relationship-based, and trauma-informed practice in her work with looked after children. She consistently demonstrates unwavering commitment to promoting the rights and wellbeing of looked after children, employing a practice approach that based on empathy, respect, and trauma-informed care. Although working with the complexity of looked after children, SJ has dedicated her learning to trauma and has a deep understanding of the impact of trauma on children's lives, integrating trauma-informed principles into her work.
SJ is also an advocate for the rights of looked after children, ensuring that each child's voice is heard and their rights respected. She is consistent in employing a rights-based framework in her practice, actively involving children in decision-making processes and advocating for their best interests. SJ is widely recognised amongst internal and external colleagues for her ability to build meaningful and trusting relationships with looked after children, understanding the importance of connection and belonging in promoting positive outcomes for children in care. She consistently goes above and beyond to establish rapport with children, their families, and other professionals involved in the child's life.
Shoyley Chowdhury
Shoyley is a social worker at Northern Care Alliance and was nominated by Sheila Jones
I am nominating Shoyley for this award because she joined the Workforce Development Team as the Social Work Development Lead in March 2023 and has had such a positive impact on our social work workforce. Shoyley has worked extremely hard with the Greater Manchester Teaching Partnership and our local universities to co-ordinate and quality assure social work student placements as well as stepping in and supporting the teams when there have been issues on placements. Shoyley has always prioritised the safety and wellbeing of our student social workers. Shoyley has worked tirelessly to support practice educators in their role often going above and beyond to support with induction, learning opportunities and exploring reasonable adjustments.
Shoyley has supported several social workers to develop through their practice educator training including progressing through to their stage 1 and 2. Shoyley has also delivered a practice educator training workshop and the peer support group for our practice educators. Shoyley has also embraced her role as ASYE coordinator, helping to develop a robust ASYE programme for our NQSWs which has included 1:1 support, monthly peer support groups with guest speakers and key topics which are focused on the areas of practice the NQSWs are most interested in or are struggling with. Shoyley has worked hard to improve standards by encouraging NQSWs with legal literacy, strengths based approaches and evidence based practice.
Shoyley often prepares thorough and informative training materials to suit a range of different learning styles. Shoyley leads on our quarterly social work forums, making all the arrangements and organizing an agenda which is filled with items that are based on best practice guidance. She has recently worked with RIPFA to develop a session on achieving outcomes with the adults we support in Salford. Shoyley has settled into the role extremely well and is an excellent role model for our staff, students, apprentices and NQSWs. She has high professional standards and embeds them throughout all the work she does to develop our social work workforce. I always receive excellent feedback from the staff that Shoyley supports and I am thrilled to have her on the team.
Therese Moran
Therese is a social worker at Child Protection Support Service, Education Authority and was nominated by Michael Kelly
I would like to nominate Therese Moran, from our Child Protection Support Service within the Education Authority.
In response to the pandemic, and the partial/full closure of schools at that turbulent time, Therese came up with the superb idea of a Safeguarding Newsletter to support school leaders and designated safeguarding leads within education settings. This was initially sent on a weekly basis, sharing good practice and resources, and reminding schools how to maintain contact with our service and others. Therese developed and co-ordinated this, and it was viewed very positively by schools and by the Education and Training Inspectorate at the time. She has kept this going, now on a monthly basis, and the feedback we receive is excellent.
Feedback from safeguarding teams would indicate that it is supportive, timely, and helpful in keeping busy safeguarding teams up to date with current and/or emerging issues (including new legislation and new Department of Education circulars).
A wide range of themes covered include potential updates for school Safeguarding and Child protection policies, recommendations from Case Management Reviews (and how to implement the learning in school), digital safeguarding, online learning, trauma informed practice, children’s emotional health and wellbeing resources, and numerous other sources of supports for children, young people, schools and professionals.
Mindful of increased economic pressures (especially on low-income families), the monthly update has also been used as a means of sending information about any sources of help in the community to safeguarding teams to empower them to be able to pass on this information to parents and/or to access them on behalf of children and families.
Therese has been instrumental in pulling together the information for the newsletter, month after month, crafting the publication herself. She also maintains an extensive library of resources and signposts that colleagues can draw upon in ensuring children and young people are supported, cared for and protected.
Therese, your work is so important, and we would like to recognise this in nominating you for Amazing Social Worker 2024.
Jake Lucas
Jake is a social worker at Novalis Trust and was nominated by Martha Lukas
Jake has been a qualified social worker for over 20+ years and has worked with children and adults with complex needs for over 30 years including as a house parent, head of care and head of training at Cotswold Chine School and Novalis Trust in Gloucestershire.
He founded Novalis Trust by merging Cotswold Chine School (an independent special school and care home for children and young people with complex learning needs and associated social, emotional and behavioural difficulties) and Paradise House (a home for up to 30 adults with learning disabilities). Novalis Trust also now runs William Morris school, a day and boarding independent special school for children with complex learning needs and associated social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
He also developed the 'Novalis Model' which draws on the latest practice and research by some of the world’s leading practitioners and academics. The model involves a trauma-informed, relationship based, attachment focused and evidence-supported approach which promotes positive relationships and secure attachments within a therapeutic low arousal environment.
Jake has made a difference to the lives of countless adults, children and their families who have faced adversity and advocated for their rights at every step.
In his work, Jake has also worked alongside leading professionals in the development of a systematic family course and a trauma informed practice course taught at Novalis Trust, the integration of Bruce Perry's Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics at Novalis Trust and developed key policies and procedures to advocate for, and safeguard, the employees, residents and children at Novalis Trust.
He is an influential leader on the frontline of the organisation, a role model and a champion for the people the charity cares for.
Kai Keers
Kai is a social worker at Achieving for Children and was nominated by Verity Kelsey
Kai is a brilliant child focused social worker who often thinks outside of the box to make a change to all the children that she works with. Kai works tirelessly to ensure that she gets the right care plan for children at the earliest possible time. Kai has built relationships with parents and young people who have said that she genuinely cares and understands them.
Kai has supported parents to believe in their own abilities and has empowered them to be able to progress in their own lives. She has supported young people to explore their strengths and she has ensured she assists them in reaching goals that they have set for themselves, often checking in to see how things have gone. Kai works hard to tailor her approach to every individual to ensure that her work with them makes a positive difference. Kai has changed the lives of many children and young people but has also changed many parents’ outlooks on parenting.
Kai is an amazing person to have in a team always ready and willing to jump in and support others, always ready to talk things through and assist others to learn. Kai has supported students and ASYEs and is keen to involve herself in ongoing learning and development to continue to be the best social worker she can for the children and young people that she works with. Kai is an amazing reflective practitioner who truly cares about the families she works with. She goes above and beyond to ensure the best help and support is offered at all times. Any family that has Kai as their allocated worker is extremely lucky to have such a dedicated and passionate social worker who strives for the best outcomes.
Kelly Roser
Kelly is a social worker at Hampshire County Council and was nominated by Megan McCartney
Kelly has been a social worker for over 10 years and worked with older adults years prior to this. Kelly can only be described as an inspiration, a fantastic teacher and the most kind hearted, generous person we know. Throughout the years of working with Kelly, I have witnessed her going above and beyond for individuals she works with continuously, resulting in fantastic outcomes for those individuals despite barriers within the system.
Kelly is an asset to any team, she is everything a social worker should be, and others should aspire to. She upholds the principles and values of the profession every minute of the day and deserves recognition for the hard work and compassion she provides to all users of the service.
Lorraine O'Neill
Lorraine is a social worker at Education Authority and was nominated by Elaine Craig
Lorraine has been a social worker for a number of years now. I first worked with Lorraine in the EA Child Protection Support Service. Lorraine was one of the founding members of the team and was instrumental in inducting me and supporting me when I first started to facilitate safeguarding training and providing child protection advice.
Lorraine quietly gets on with her work, is motivated, ensures she keeps up to date with research, so all her work is evidence based and when her colleagues need it (either personally or professionally), always provides practical support and help. I am grateful for Lorraine's steadfastness in her role and her influence on my practice. Lorraine is an amazing social worker!
Mark Atkins
Mark is a social worker at Focus Adult Social Work and was nominated by Katie Trevor & Zoe Anne Louise Pinnick
Katie said:
I am nominating Mark as he is an integral part of the Safeguarding team here at Focus. He is an Advanced Practitioner/Senior Social Worker within the team.
Mark has many years experience as a social worker and has exceptional knowledge & skills as a Best Interest Assessor. He uses his vast experiences with MCA, DoLS & Best interests to support us all with the theory and practice of Best Interests and MCA to enable us to apply the principals with confidence and competence throughout our enquiries and case work. Mark always has people at the heart of every safeguarding enquiry that we undertake and ensures that the desired outcomes are achieved and each enquiry is made personal to the person to achieve the best possible results for them to live free from harm and to reduce risks.
Mark is a practitioner that will always answer the phone to any team member throughout Focus to offer guidance and advice on any case and ensure that we are suitably supported throughout.
Mark will always visit a person within the community and remains frontline and visible to both the individual and their families, again offering advice and support for any area of their lives.
Mark is a forward thinker whom will look to boost team morale to reduce stressors in a fast moving and busy team. Our team is very lucky to have Mark!
Zoe said:
Mark always puts the team first and will always guide everyone and offer his vast knowledge and experiences whenever needed. His approach to individual circumstances and explanations around individual approaches make it easier to process when working on enquiries. He is a valued member of the team and we would be lost without him.
Melanie Howells
Melanie is a social worker at RCT and was nominated by Joy Reynolds
Mel has always been an outstanding SSW to us. She always treats us with courtesy and respect and never undermines our values and opinions as Foster Carers. This is extremely refreshing for us as Foster Carers that we can actually feel as though our opinions are valued. Mel is also a consistent and valuable support for any problems we have and is always there for both us and our foster children. She’s amazing!
Paramjeet Toora
Paramjeet is a social worker at Adult West Locality Team and was nominated by Harjot Kaur Dhillon
Paramjeet is one of the most passionate and dedicated social workers I have ever come across. She goes out of her way to support people with care needs and is the first one to reach out to her colleagues to support as well. Her dedication is both fascinating and inspiring.
Samantha Cartwright
Samantha is a social worker at Wolverhampton City Council and was nominated by Claire Beckerleg
Samantha is an amazing Social Worker and a pleasure to work with. Her passion and tenacity in all she does to support our young people is outstanding and inspiring. She never gives up on achieving what we know is the very best for our young people. Not only is she inspiring for professionals, but she inspires our young people to achieve their full potential. Never being afraid to professionally challenge and pull the full team around a young person in progressing their plans so they can reach their dreams and aspirations. Samantha always goes above and beyond not only with her own children but supports the team around her immensely in the sharing of knowledge and expertise. She is a dream of a Social Worker for any child or team to have!
Samantha Willington
Samantha is a social worker at Wolverhampton city council and was nominated by Kellie Hines
Samantha is being nominated to remind her how incredibly proud everyone is of her journey to becoming a first class social worker. Sam completed her ASYE year last year. She has continued working hard delving into court work and managing difficult family time out of area a few times a week. Sam has shown tenacity and commitment and continued to always keep the children at the core of all her decision making.
Sam is a valued member of our team. Her infectious laugh and great gadgets make Sam's character one of a kind.
Sophie McGuirk
Sophie is a social worker at City of Wolverhampton council and was nominated by Jessica Timmins
Sophie is a wonderful social worker, we are so lucky to have her working within Wolverhampton children's services. She is a fantastic member of our team and goes above and beyond for our children and parents.
She offers endless support to new members of the team and is a huge advocate for diversity, inclusion and support within the service.
Beth Lemmer
Beth is a social worker at Wiltshire Council and was nominated by Karen Bryant & Sarah Marriott
Karen said:
I have supervised Beth whilst she undertook her ASYE programme with Wiltshire Council. During her year's programme, I have observed her confidence and passion for safeguarding consistently develop. Beth has worked tirelessly for the children she supports, and her understanding of risk and relationship-based practice has been integral to her work. Beth has worked effectively with all professionals, been open and honest and the child has been central to everything she has done.
Sarah said:
Beth has just completed her NQSW and as such is starting her journey into being a Level 2 social Worker within a Support and Safeguarding Team. Despite her career being in its infancy I have been really impressed with Beth's tenacity and commitment to the children and the families that she supports. Beth has been allocated some very complex cases that have required her to reach out, make herself heard and challenge decision making when others at the stage in their career may not have.
Beth has worked tirelessly to ensure the voice of the young people she supports is heard and that their needs remain on the agenda and in the minds of all supporting agencies and the management team around her. She demonstrates calmness, compassion and care in challenging situations, and goes above and beyond to ensure that the people she works with are front and centre in all her actions and decision making. She always shows strong emotional resilience whilst also seeking appropriate support, positively role modelling excellent social work practice and expectations in the field.
Beth is just starting out in her career, but what a start and I cannot wait to watch her journey as her practice grows and develops. This nomination is to encourage and recognise Beth and her newly qualified colleagues that their hard work, commitment, and passion is not overseen and that they deserve celebrating.
Chris Wood
Chris is a newly qualified social worker at City of Wolverhampton Council and was nominated by Niall O' Connor
I would love to nominate Chris Wood, a children’s newly qualified social worker, for an AMAZING social worker award.
Chris started with us as a student, and since this time has taken every opportunity to grow, thrive and develop into the AMAZING newly qualified social worker he is today. Whilst Chris is always willing to learn new things, and help in the development of others, his personality and overall demeanour is something he always had and isn’t something that can be taught. Chris has always been a genuinely kind, generous and upbeat person who has the best interests of everyone he supports at heart. Approachable, caring, dedicated, helpful and determined are all but a few of the words people use to describe Chris in their day-to-day interactions with him and they couldn’t be more right.
Nothing is ever too much for Chris when it comes to supporting children in need of support or protection. From dressing up as the Grinch at recent Christmas events, to going above and beyond to be with children in some of their most difficult moments and being a listening ear for them, Chris always puts himself forward to be there for children in whatever way he can. This dedication is evident amongst his colleagues, but most importantly amongst the children and families he supports, who consistently give positive feedback about Chris, commenting they never feel judged or spoken down to, and always feel supported.
Chris has a strong interest in promoting social work, his values and social justice inside, and outside of work, continuing to volunteer as a mentor in a local youth zone. His non-judgemental approach and insight surrounding social injustice and anti-oppressive practice are exemplary and he always speaks out against injustice to ensure fair and consistent support is provided to each child and family as an individual in their own right.
It would be remiss for me not to highlight these sentiments are echoed far and wide by children and families, his team, wider colleagues, supervisor, manager, senior managers and social work leaders in the local authority, with many wanting to nominate him for this award. He is an inspiration to colleagues, and a true role model to the children he strives so hard to support.
Although he is incredibly humble, there is no doubt Chris is an AMAZING social worker and we would love for him to be recognised for it!
Gemma Griffiths
Gemma is a social worker at Sandwell Children's Trust and was nominated by Sarah Jane Thomson
Gemma deserves to be recognised as an amazing social worker as she gives her absolute all to the foster carers and families she supports as a supervising social worker.
Of all the supervising social workers I have worked with over the years, Gemma stands out as one of the most proactive, responsive and communicative. It's an absolute privilege to work with her as she makes my role all the more enjoyable by delivering and upholding the high standards that are required of those fostering our incredible children and young people.
She is certainly a supervising social worker that I regularly find myself hoping is involved with new families that I am assigned to support - this speaks volumes! She has an incredible future ahead of her in social work after making such a fantastic start in her first year of practice. Thank you Gemma!
Megan Naylor
Megan is a newly qualified social worker at East Riding Council and was nominated by Caroline Sykes
Megan has started her ASYE year from being in the team as a student. Megan works very relational with families and has started her ASYE year with such positivity. Megan supports her team and is always willing to learn. Megan is always very motivated and strives to achieve positive outcomes for children and families.
Rebekah Pocock
Rebekah is a newly qualified social worker at Central Bedfordshire Council and was nominated by Ben Feasmen
Rebekah, a newly qualified social worker, demonstrates an exceptional level of skill and dedication that extends beyond her years of experience.
Her relationship-based social work approach is making a significant impact on the lives of those she serves. In her work with a young family facing potential dependency issues, Rebekah explored their relationship and helped the young person feel supported to tackle their issues themself, so they felt more empowered.
Rebekah’s direct work with young people has been praised by colleagues, other professionals and judges alike. A Judge recently was able to bring proceedings to a close much earlier than expected as Rebekah’s S7 report was so clear. Rebekah has also used direct work of children’s lived experiences through collocation of day in the life work.
Families she has worked with express profound gratitude, noting they ‘owe everything to Rebekah,’ as she has supported them so well through some of the most challenging times of their lives.
Rebekah prioritises personal well-being, engaging in self-care and utilising supervision effectively. A collaborative effort with her manager demonstrates her proactive approach to addressing challenges and formulating support plans, reflecting a strong working relationship.
Ben, Rebekah’s manager, acknowledges her learning progression, proactive approach, and high standards of care. While Rebekah excels in her direct work with children, she displays wisdom without being overly critical of herself. Her willingness to take on training, including ABE training and sessions on working with males, fathers, and neglect, showcases her commitment to continuous learning and development.
In essence, Rebekah’s practice is a testament to her focus on direct work with children, employing a relationship-based social work approach that excels in its ability to create meaningful and positive changes, demonstrating a maturity beyond her years of experience.
Shelly Brierley
Shelly is a newly qualified social worker at Chorley Community Mental Health Team (Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust) and was nominated by Ellie Hyland
Shelly has been amazing whilst I have been on placement and has taught me so much. She is always willing to help out and goes above and beyond to help members of the team. She is also very forthcoming in educating other professionals about the role of social work and has really made me feel that I am going into a valued profession. She is amazing!
Stephanie Baker
Stephanie is a newly qualified social worker at Wolverhampton City Council and was nominated by Claire Beckerleg & Dimpal Dabb
Claire said:
Stephanie has thrived in her development from a Family Support Worker, through her Apprenticeship and now in her ASYE year. She is flying! A born Social Worker. With a gift of making instant connections with all whom she works with, she is able to plan and resolve any issues facing her and our young people. The compliments fly in from young people, families and professionals with how kind, calming and reassuring she is. A strong mind for solutions means she is never phased by any difficulty and pulls on any support for a young person to 'make things happen'. Stephanie has a strong aptitude to hypothesise and reflect, an important adeptness to have in her learning and development.
Stephanie will go far in her Social Work career, will continue to make a real, positive difference to the lives of our young people, and I wish her every success.
Dimpal said:
Stephanie has successfully passed her ASYE year with Wolverhampton. She has been challenged and tested in her ASYE year - and alongside completing her assignments and ensuring her learning is up to date, she has successfully supported young people with their care plans in a timely manner- from re assessments to rehab back to parents to progressing independent living for older children.
Stephanie has great social work skills and is great with engaging teenagers- although this can be challenging and testing at times, Stephiane has been able to implement the tools and tips she has gathered over the years to achieve good outcomes for her children. Stephanie has grown over the last 12 months; her written skills are brilliant, and she is very solution focussed.
Although Stephanie is newly qualified SW she brings a wealth of knowledge with her and is able to support new starters and students with sharing information.
Stephanie listens to the child's voice and captures this when care planning for her children- her area of strength is Rehabilitation back to parents and has recently become the Teams CHAMPION in sharing information around rehab and the process.
Keep up the good work Steph
Wendy Henry
Wendy is a newly qualified social worker at Wolverhampton City Council and was nominated by Catherine Holden
Wendy is a Newly Qualified Social Worker who has been completing her Assessed and Supported Year in Employment. I have been supporting and assessing Wendy since May 2023 and I have seen her development, diligence and determination first hand. During observations of her meeting with people, she shows real skill in relational practice. It is evident that people feel comfortable and supported by her and she is the kind of Social Worker I would want for my nearest and dearest.
Another key reason I want to nominate Wendy is that she has achieved this and progressed so well during her ASYE, overcoming several challenges. She has so much determination and resilience in abundance.
I admire Wendy for her dedication and her ability to keep growing and developing as a restorative and strengths based Social Worker. I am really pleased for the people of Wolverhampton and for our organisation that Wendy is now progressing into a Social Work position and look forward to seeing and supporting her further development.
I would also like to thank Wendy for the experience I have gained and things I have learnt through our supervisory relationship. I hope to use this to develop my skills in practice education.
Carol Batchelor
Carol is a team manager at Sandwell Children’s Trust and was nominated by Charlotte Woodcock
I am nominating Carol Batchelor simply because she is an inspirational leader and role model..
Carol came into the role of a team manager and she really hit the ground running with consistent leadership, support and the interests of the children and families we work with, at the centre of her heart.
Carol has been the most consistent manager I have ever had, being there for me in more ways than I could have ever expected from a team manager, offering good, reflective supervision, consistent communication and a shoulder to cry on when required…
Carol is a true asset, pushing me above and beyond my potential, guiding me through the process in a way which suits me best, one where I can learn to better myself in my role.
I have been able to learn so much with the support from Carol, who gives her all to the learning and development of her team, especially with some of us having completed our ASYE, those looking to progress to senior social workers, and our student social workers. Carol gives time to our learning and development, offering guidance and tools to enable us to grasp key skills in assisting families to influence positive change. Carol has a good focus on making herself available. She is always on hand to teach others and lead by example.
For me, moving to Child Protection and Court was daunting, but I now describe it as the ‘best career move I ever made’. I genuinely feel lucky to have Carol as my team manager. She is the anchor to our boat. We may have moments where we feel like we are on a rough sea, but Carol keeps us anchored and prepared for each and every wave.
Charmayne Dean
Charmayne is a team manager at City of Wolverhampton Council and was nominated by Jennifer Dear
Charmayne is the team manager of the disabled children and young people's team. Charmayne is such a supportive and knowledgeable team manager. She has provided a huge level of stability within the team, with many people choosing to stay long term and move from agency to permanent roles, offering greater stability for the families we work with. Overall Charmayne provides a huge amount of support to all of us and helps us to feel confident to advocate and work hard for the people we are supporting. She is down to earth, open and honest, and I feel she genuinely cares about every person in the team and the people we work with, always taking the time to reflect with us whenever we need it. She has a wealth of knowledge she shares with anyone who may need it, and she leads by an excellent example of restorative practice and person-centred planning which I feel has personally helped develop my practice positively. Managers like Charmayne are hard to find, and I feel she really is an amazing Social Worker that deserves recognition!!
Claire Beckerleg
Claire is a team manager at City of Wolverhampton Council and was nominated by Dimpal Dabb
Claire is a relatively new manager - she has been managing and supporting the team since March 2022. Claire joined the team during a challenging time when they were unsettled and short on staff. Claire was able to support the team, listen to their worries and concerns, show empathy, and look at reasonable solutions to ensure the team felt supported.
Over time the team has become more stable, and this is through Claire’s leadership skills and drive to get the best for them as she recognises if the team feel supported then we will get better outcomes for the children and families we support.
Claire is proactive in encouraging social workers to reflect, share knowledge and develop. She draws upon a wealth of knowledge when looking at different situations and solutions. Claire is a great advocate for the team and has a 'We can do attitude'.
Hayley Hackney
Hayley is a team manager at Hull City Council Children's Services and was nominated by Claire Rutherford
Hayley has been a social worker for 20 years and has worked in the safeguarding teams within Children’s Services. She has a desire to help others and a real passion to make a difference to the lives of disadvantaged children.
Hayley is a Team Manager in the Locality Teams and supports children in need and children in need of protection. However, her commitment has also led her to work in the Emergency Duty Team. This can be a demanding role, ensuring that children are safeguarded after hours and during the weekend.
Hayley has an excellent reputation with her colleagues, having had a well- established team in the Hull West Locality for over 5 years. She is one of our long serving frontline Team Managers and continues to show her dedication to her team and the families they work with. They describe her leadership style as kind, caring and supportive. She is fully dedicated to promoting excellent practice within her team, from supporting students as a Practice Educator, to supporting more experienced practitioners with her knowledge and wisdom.
Her team say she goes above and beyond to best support them and to get the best outcomes for families. Hayley is an experienced leader, who continues to shape the service and strives for excellence. She prides herself on supporting her team and nurturing them to ensure they are confident and constantly learning to improve and strengthen their practice for better outcomes for families. Due to her nurturing approach, many of her student social workers have gained employment in Children’s Services and she currently has a Newly Qualified and ASYE Social Worker who had both been her student previously and were keen to remain supported by her.
Hayley can see the advantages of adopting a strength-based approach both with families and her team. She adopts appreciative inquiry as a form of supervision and embraces the importance human relationships, respecting the people she supervises and ensuring that when she facilitates supervisory discussions that she is professionally curious and exploring the worth and dignity of the people she is serving in Hull.
Hayley has recently been praised when providing evidence in Court, albeit she is a team manager. When social workers and families needed her support in the Court arena, she was there, back on the front-line and sharing her views to support the needs of others. Members of the Court noted the experience she brought in terms of ensuring that social justice was served.
Helen Wallis
Helen is a team manager at BCP and was nominated by Julie Smith
Helen is the Operational Team Manager for the BCP Council, Adult Social Care, 'Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) Team'. As well as being a great Ambassador for BCP, and an inspirational leader, she is a great communicator and influencer for the team and those we support.
Helen and a small team gave a well-regarded presentation about the BCP ‘Preparing for Adulthood Service’ initiative at the National Children's and Adults Conference held at the Bournemouth International Centre in November last year.
Helen is an excellent leader and role model, and a great motivator and encourager. She is the person you want to have around when challenging situations occur. She displays a calm and practical authority and communicates well with people at all levels, in a non-confrontational and honouring way. She is professional, helpful and supportive in her approach to managing challenging situations.
Helen deserves to be recognised generally for her great leadership of the PfA team, in safeguarding and supporting young people with disabilities to be able to live more independent lives, whilst also endeavouring to have their complex individual needs appropriately met. Also, in not letting the significant challenges associated within her job role overcome her professionalism, and ensuring she remains focussed on the excellent work ethics she aspires to. Helen always promotes dedication towards engaging in 'person-centred' communications, and in advocating for both BCP and the people we are supporting, in an understanding, empathic and assertive way.
I am proud to work with such an inspirational and collaborative manager, who also values her team members for what they individually bring to the Preparing for Adulthood Service, and inspires us to think BIG about the future, and to be 'the best we can be'.