Last call for entries for Social Worker of the Year
There’s just one week left to enter the 2021 Social Worker of the Year Awards which will recognise outstanding social work practice during the extraordinary Covid-19 pandemic.
There are 11 different categories to choose from and entries must be submitted by the deadline of midnight on Friday 23rd July.
The awards feature a range of categories, including two new additions: Social Justice Advocate Award and University of the Year. The full list of categories is as follows:
- Student Social Worker of the Year – sponsored by Dorset Council.
- Newly Qualified Social Worker of the Year – sponsored by Waltham Forest Council.
- Adult Social Worker of the Year – sponsored by London Borough of Wandsworth.
- Children’s Social Worker of the Year – sponsored by Children’s Social Work Matters.
- Team Leader of the Year – sponsored by Devon County Council.
- Mental Health Social Worker of the Year – sponsored by Essex County Council.
- Practice Educator of the Year – sponsored by our corporate partner, BASW.
- Social Justice Advocate of the Year – sponsored by corporate partner, BASW.
- Team of the Year (any team including MDTs) – sponsored by UNISON.
- University of the Year – sponsored by Torbay Council.
- Employer of the Year – sponsored by Headline Sponsor, Sanctuary Personnel.
- Outstanding Contribution during Covid-19 (winner of winners) – sponsored by Headline Sponsor, Sanctuary Personnel.
Peter Hay CBE, Chair of the Social Work Awards, said: “The awards provide a wonderful opportunity for us to shine a light on the most dedicated social workers, teams and organisations across England.
“With just a week to go until entries close for the 2021 Social Worker of the Year Awards, we’ve already received some fantastic entries and it’s not too late to nominate somebody who you feel deserves recognition for the positive difference they make to the individuals and communities they serve.”
There are still opportunities to sponsor the awards by becoming a Thank You sponsor for just £2,000. This is an opportunity for local authorities, other employers of social workers and organisations of any kind to say thank you to social workers and in return gain recognition for their support of the social work profession.
Thank You sponsors already on board are Social Work England, West Sussex Council, Derbyshire County Council, Norfolk County Council, Dudley Council, S12 Solutions, Southampton City Council, Bradford Council, Luton Borough Council, Lincolnshire County Council, and Suffolk County Council.
The winners of the Social Worker of the Year Awards 2021 will be announced during a virtual event in November.
The 2021 virtual event theme is ‘Reconnection and Recognition’ and the aim is to bring social workers from all over England together to engage with a live online event that reconnects the social work profession, gives recognition, reflects on the experiences and learnings from the pandemic and looks to the future.
In March 2022, a parliamentary event at the House of Commons will return, with category sponsors and award winners from 2019 and 2021 invited to attend.