Westminster plays host to award-winning social workers

Social Worker of the Year 2018 winners rubbed shoulders with ministers and sector organisations – including BASW – at a celebratory reception

This week, outstanding social workers who won gold in the Social Worker of the Year Awards 2018 were individually congratulated by government ministers at an exclusive parliamentary reception which took place in the House of Commons.

BASW chair Gerry Nosowska and BASW England national director Maris Stratulis were also there to congratulate the winners, some of whom are BASW members.

Secretary of State for Education, The Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP; Minister of State for Care, Caroline Dinenage MP; and Chief Social Worker for Children and Families, Isabelle Trowler, all attended to personally meet the winners.

The event was also attended by the patrons of the Social Work Awards charity including Tim Loughton MP; Shadow Children’s Minister, Emma Lewell-Buck MP and celebrity chef and government fostering ambassador Lorraine Pascale.

(L-R) Lorraine Pascale, Rebecca Payne, Maris Stratulis and Caroline Dinenage MP

Caroline Dinenage MP, Minister of State for Care, said: "It's always a privilege to meet talented social workers who do indispensable, challenging and life changing work to support some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

“The Social Worker of the Year awards rightly celebrates their successes, and acknowledges our debt to them. Social workers are some of the hardest working and under recognised people out there - I urge people to nominate their colleagues, or apply themselves, once entries open for this year's awards."