Bring social work into the light – nominate now!
SASW is urgently trying to get members to nominate a Social Worker, Residential Care Worker, and Student Social Worker for its 2014 awards, set to be handed out at a ceremony on the evening of World Social Work Day on 18 March 2014.
Previous years have been a resounding success, the evening is supported by the Scottish Government but SASW manager Trisha Hall says there is a problem – not enough of you are coming forward or nominating colleagues.
Trisha says: “The Minister for Children and Young people, Aileen Campbell, last year commented how the stories, and the endorsements from service users, had put our work in a much more understandable and human context. It shows what we do, and many of you as unsung heroes do it so well.
“And herein lies the challenge; we are consistently reminded and advised that social workers prefer ‘unsung’. There is a reluctance to stand out, be seen to be anything other than hard working colleagues – almost am embarrassment at being in a soft limelight.
“Yet in days where social work remains a political football, where ‘integration’ and ‘joint services’ proposals and associated job descriptions increasingly forget to even mention ‘social work’; where members tell us how concerned they are that ethics and analytical and reflective practice is eroded; where the media continues to attribute tragic outcomes to social work alone, it is essential that we stand up for our profession.
“If we don’t do it, who will? This is a crucial point in light of what hard work it has been this year to receive nominations for the SASW Annual Awards – so much so that we have extended our deadline to 17 January.
“We need you to provide us with the stories about the people you work with, those who you see evidencing best and/or innovative practice and which helps people to make the changes they need in their lives. We know how busy you all are, but emphasising what it means to be a social worker in Scotland in 2013 is vital to making sure we continue to have our voices heard.
“So, please, don’t put it off, don’t worry about your colleague’s reluctance to accept the praise they are entitled to – download a form and nominate. We will see you in March!”