A tribute to Dave Hill CBE

The Trustees of the Social Work Awards have paid tribute to Dave Hill CBE who has died suddenly this week.

Dave was a big supporter of the Social Worker of the Year Awards and was very much behind Essex County Council becoming one of the original sponsors of the awards when he was Director of Children’s Services there. The consistency of Essex County Council’s sponsorship as well as Dave’s support and clear enjoyment in good social work was vital in seeing the awards become well established.

Peter Hay CBE, Chair of Trustees, Social Work Awards, says: “The Trustees have valued Dave Hill’s constant support and friendship of the Social Worker of the Year Awards since the charity was founded nearly nine years ago.

“He had such passion for social work and such a clear focus on doing what is right for children and families, more than structures, which made a huge difference to social work practice and to many lives.”

Dave Hill was Director of Children’s Services at Essex County Council from 2010 to 2018, when he became Executive Director of Children, Lifelong Learning and Culture at Surrey County Council.

He was President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) in 2015-2016.

His first job was in a Children’s Home in the London Borough of Southwark in 1977 and he trained as a social worker between 1981 and 1983, before working across five different London boroughs.

In 2018 he was awarded a CBE for services to children’s social care.