Northern Trust staff honoured in social work awards

Their work was recognised at the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s Professional in Practice Awards 2022.

The ceremony recognises those social workers who have completed their Professional in Practice Award and reflects on their commitment to learning and dedication to delivering outstanding social work practice across Northern Ireland.

Four awards were presented: Consolidation Award, Specialist Award, Leadership and Strategic Award and the Advanced Scholarship Award.

The theme for this year’s ceremony was celebrating inclusion and diversity across the profession of social work and is an opportunity for the Social Care Council, as it reaches its 21st year, to celebrate the richness of people and their life experience.

Northern Trust staff recognised in the Consolidation Award category were: Jade Agnew, Emily Elliott, Josephine Fullerton, Mairead Glass, Clair McElhone, Megan McElwee, Claire Needs and Sivanesan Ramamoorthy.

Honoured in the Specialist Award category were Northern Trust members: Denise Bermingham, Roisin Connolly, Sharon Cummings, Deirdre Diamond, Sean Falls, Gemma Ferguson, Paul Grainger, Gillian Jackson, Christina Kearney, Catherine Malone, Jordana McKittrick, James Mulholland, Jessica Mulholland, Sarah Jane O’Donnell, Ciara O’Kane, Lyndsay Peden, Elizabeth Peoples, Emma Scullion and Donna Toner.

Included in the Leadership and Strategic Award were Edel McToal and Stephanie Patterson from the Northern Trust.

The virtual awards ceremony also saw the launch by the Department of Health of the Social Work Leadership Framework. The framework aims to place a focus on professional leadership in the profession and the Social Care Council will be taking a key role in its implementation.

Speaking at the ceremony, Sean Holland, Chief Social Worker for the Department of Health, said: “I am encouraged to see the standard of award recipients this year.

"Each award recipient has been on a learning journey and had their practice assessed against the internationally recognised Professional in Practice Framework for Social Work in Northern Ireland.

"I congratulate all those who achieved awards today. Each have demonstrated excellence and are setting the benchmark in contributing to high quality experiences for people who use social work services.”