New Trustee joins Social Work Awards charity
The charity which runs the Social Worker of the Year Awards has announced the appointment of social worker and previous award winner Gary Spencer-Humphrey to its Board of Trustees.
After initially completing a degree in law, Gary decided to retrain as a social worker and graduated from The Open University with a BA (Hons) in Social Work in 2016. Prior to this, he held various social care roles in local authorities for over 10 years, alongside extensive voluntary work with St John Ambulance, a youth offending team and volunteering as a special constable.
Gary started his social work career as a mental health social worker and during his Assessed and Supported Year in Employment, won the Newly Qualified Adult Social Worker of the Year award at the 2017 Social Worker of the Year Awards. He is currently a Senior Practitioner at West Sussex County Council and has recently qualified as an Approved Mental Health Professional and Best Interest Assessor. He is working towards his Masters degree in Advanced Mental Health.
Speaking about his appointment, Gary said: “Having won an award in 2017 and supported the charity in the 2018 judging process, I found the involvement with the Social Work Awards charity so heart-warming, it reignited my passion for championing the social worker’s voice in society and for promoting the interest in the profession. It is an honour to be able to support the growth of the charity towards the future and beyond.”
Gary will join existing trustees Peter Hay CBE (Chair), James Rook (Managing Director, Sanctuary Social Care), Joanna Nicolas (Child Protection Consultant and Author), Ana Popovici (currently Director of Children’s Services, Hillingdon; soon to be Director of Children’s Services, Wandsworth), Rob Mitchell (Principal Social Worker, Bradford Council) and Jessica Beach (Principal Social Worker).
Peter Hay CBE, Chair of the Social Work Awards Board, said: “We are delighted to welcome Gary to the Board of Trustees. His passion for social work is evident and he will be a great asset to the charity as we look to take our valuable work in the sector to the next level and secure its long-term success.
“We are currently looking to appoint a trustee with lived experience of social work, who can use their valuable insight to bring an added dimension to our work and help us to shape the charity going forwards. We would encourage anyone interested in the position to contact us.”
Established in 2006, the Social Worker of the Year Awards have grown year-on-year with over 18 sponsored award categories and more than 450 attending the awards’ dinner and presentation ceremony in November. A parliamentary reception for award winners is also held in the spring.
The Social Worker of the Year Awards 2019 will take place on Friday 29th November in London. Entries are still being accepted until midnight on Friday 19th July. Nominate here.