A thin line between professionals and service users, says award-winning social worker

The only difference between service users and professionals is circumstance, was the message from an award-winning Welsh social worker.

Joanna Thomas said social workers were “privileged” to work alongside people whose difficulties could just as easily be theirs in a different situation.

Ms Thomas, who is assistant team manager of Dinefwr Childcare Team in Carmarthenshire, spoke as she picked up the spirit of social work prize at the BASW Cymru Social Work Awards in Cardiff.

She said social work for her was about “enabling people to make positive changes in their lives and being aware that in different circumstances it could be any of us”.

She added: “We do what we can to support people. There are people who are more vulnerable, but we have all got our own vulnerabilities and life happens to us all.

“We don’t know what is around the corner. We are very privileged to be a in a position where we can come in and help people.”