The Social Worker of the Year Awards welcomes two new Trustees
The Social Worker of the Year Awards is delighted to announce the appointment of two new Trustees. Following recruitment rounds earlier this summer, Lisa Buttar and Jon Glasby have joined the charity’s Board of Trustees, each bringing years of valuable experience.
A Learning and Development professional for over 15 years, Lisa Buttar retrained as a Social Worker and qualified in 2017.
Having previously worked in Transitions and Learning Disabilities, as well as volunteering as a Trustee for Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Service (previously Women’s Aid), Lisa is currently a Principal Social Worker with North Northamptonshire Council, working in a busy and demanding ‘front door service’.
As a Practice Educator, Lisa is passionate about supporting and developing students and newly qualified social workers to be knowledgeable, confident and resilient.
Lisa is also committed to her own development, having recently finished her Approved Mental Health Professional training alongside her busy role as a mother of two children.
Lisa said: “I’m very excited to be joining as a Trustee – I am passionate about promoting the amazing work social workers undertake and supporting the development of social workers to be the best that they can be for the people they support. It is a privilege to be a Trustee for the Social Worker of the Year Awards and to help promote and recognise excellent practice across the country.”
Joining Lisa as a new Trustee is fellow qualified Social Worker, Jon Glasby. Jon is Director of IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together), the UK centre for evidence implementation in adult social care, and a Non-Executive Director of University Hospitals Birmingham and Birmingham Children’s Trust. He was also a special adviser to the House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee in 2022.
Jon specialises in joint work between health and social care and is involved in regular policy analysis and advice. He is the author of numerous articles and a series of leading textbooks on health and social services and has sat on the advisory board of The Policy Press.
Jon is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Senior Fellow of the NIHR School for Social Care Research.
Jon said: “I work at the University of Birmingham – which has been training social workers with a formal qualification since 1908 – and we know that good social work changes lives. However, so much of what people do, day in and day out, is hidden and under-appreciated – and we often don’t realise how amazing our profession is and what a difference it makes. The Awards do such a good job of helping us all to celebrate and share good practice, and I’m so proud to be joining as a Trustee.”
The Social Work of the Year Awards is a charity which strives to recognise the achievements of social workers across England. It is the only major national awards event for social work in England, attracting hundreds of entries every year and reaching millions of people with positive stories of outstanding social work, creative and compassionate practitioners and outstanding practice.
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Peter Hay CBE said “The Board of Trustees work hard to ensure that all areas of social work are highlighted, and Jon and Lisa’s arrival will enrich discussions around the way the charity operates. We’re delighted to welcome them.”
