Overall Social Worker of the Year

Helen was the only nominee to receive top marks from all the judges and it’s not difficult to see why – her work to improve the experiences of young people accessing forensic mental health services is outstanding.

Since joining the South West Yorkshire NHS Partnership Foundation Trust in 2012, Helen has played a significant role in implementing harmful sexual behaviour services in secure institutions. This involved adapting the team’s community service model and giving other agencies the option to refer directly into services – a change that Helen championed from the outset. She was praised by her colleagues for breaking down barriers and winning over health and prison colleagues, ensuring more meaningful interventions for young people.

She has since been involved in practice improvements at a national level and was the only social worker invited to advise the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the Harmful Sexual Behaviour draft guidance.

The trustees praised Helen for the “enormous impact” she has made on practice and the clear benefits this has brought to her service users. She has negotiated the challenges of being the only social worker in a team of health professionals with admirable skill and determination and is truly deserving of the ‘Overall Social Worker of the Year 2015’ title.