Ashley John-Baptiste returns to host the Social Worker of the Year Awards 2024

The Social Worker of the Year Awards is delighted to announce broadcast journalist and TV presenter, Ashley John-Baptiste, as the host of this year’s event in November.  

As a care leaver, Ashley is passionate about raising the aspirations of looked-after children and credits his social worker for helping him get to where he is today.   

This will be Ashley’s fifth time hosting the awards ceremony; his work raising the profile of the experiences of children in care and understanding of the social work profession, make him a very popular host and friend of the charity.  

The Social Worker of the Year Awards is the only major national awards event for social work in England, attracting hundreds of entries every year.   

About Ashley
Ashley grew up in South London, where at the age of four he was taken into care. He grew up being moved between foster families and children’s homes and changed primary school three times. A bright student and despite his turbulent childhood, he secured a place at Cambridge University where he graduated with a 2:1 in History.   

As a Senior Reporter and Presenter, Ashley is a regular face on The One Show and Morning Live. He has made many documentaries, including Split up in Care: Life without Siblings, about sibling relationships in the care system.   

Earlier this year, Ashley published his memoir, Looked After: A Childhood in Care about his experiences of growing up in the care system.   

Recognising outstanding social work
Speaking ahead of the awards, Ashley said “I am thrilled to be returning to host the Social Worker of the Year awards – it is always awe-inspiring to be part of recognising the inspirational social work that is achieved across England.”  

This year, social work practitioners, teams and organisations from across the country have been selected as finalists in 18 categories, chosen by independent judging panels of social workers, industry leaders and people with lived experience of social work.    

Categories include returning favourites like Team Leader of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award and two new additions, Technology-Enabled Lives and Innovation in Practice Award and Practitioner-led Research Award.   

The winners from each category will be announced at the ceremony in London on 8 November 2024.  

Sponsors of this Awards include BASW England (Headline Sponsor), Sanctuary (Corporate Partner), and West Sussex County Council (Public Sector Sponsor).  Cafcass, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Wandsworth Borough Council, West Midlands ADASS, Unison and Essex County Council are Category Sponsors and Gloucestershire County Council are a ‘Thank You’ Sponsor.