19th March 2024
On World Social Work Day (Tuesday 19 March), the Southern Health and Social Care Trust are celebrating the vital role social workers have in supporting adults, children, families and communities to improve their lives.
In recognition of their work, Trust social workers got together to celebrate the transformative role they play, in line with this year’s theme; ‘Buen Vivir: Shared Future for Transformative Change’.
Dr Sharon Shoesmith, Writer, Researcher and Public Speaker, was the keynote speaker at the event and explored the challenges experienced by social workers and the impact of the societal blame culture, highlighting the need for courage and a time for transformative change.
Social workers respond to crises and emergencies as well as to everyday personal and social problems across the Trust’s children’s, learning disability, physical disability, older people and mental health and hospital services.
Social work interventions include counselling, clinical social work, group work, social educational work, family treatment and therapy as well as efforts to help people obtain services and resources in their community.
Colm McCafferty, Executive Director of Social Work in the Trust, said:
“World Social Work day is really special and enables us to celebrate the phenomenal contribution of our social workers.
“I want to thank all our social workers for their hard work and dedication across the whole Trust area and for making a massive difference to the lives of so many people.
“Despite the ongoing workforce challenges, I know that our social work colleagues continue to reflect a genuine commitment to protecting the vulnerable from harm or abuse, helping people to live independently and acting as advocates for those who need support.”