Social Work Awards 2018

Social Work Awards 2018 Celebrating Excellence in Social Work

Application Pack Closing date for applications 12noon Wednesday 25 October 2017

Awards Ceremony Galgorm Resort, Ballymena Friday 9 March 2018

swmakesadifference Contents

About the Social Work Awards 2

Who can enter? 3

What the judges are looking for 4

The Awards 5

How to enter 8

Entry information 9

Rules and conditions of entry 10

Entry Form – Children’s/Adult Services Team of the Year 11

Entry Form – Partnership Team of the Year 14

Entry Form – Learning and Development Award of the Year 17

Entry Form – Social Worker of the Year Awards 22

Entry Form – NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award 24

1 About the Social Work Awards

Social work is about people who, for a variety of reasons, may need extra help and support to cope with everyday living. There are just over 5000 social workers practising in Northern Ireland. Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, they are using their professional skills and knowledge to assess the needs of people of all ages and backgrounds; planning and implementing the care and support that allows them to live as independently and safely as possible.

Social workers often work with people in sensitive and difficult environments to help them make positive changes to their situation. This means that the media and the wider public rarely find out about the contribution social workers make to people and communities across Northern Ireland. Good news stories about social work rarely receive public or media attention, yet negative stories relating to social work make front pages news and are often a matter of public discussion. The Social Work Awards are an opportunity to promote how social work makes a positive difference to people’s lives. This is an opportunity for social workers to promote and be proud of their profession.

The Social Work Awards are to promote and celebrate excellence in social work.

The Awards were introduced by the Raising the Profile Group, formed by the Health & Social Care Board to raise the profile of social work.

There are eight Awards for 2018.

The Awards are a public recognition of social workers’ achievements.

Service Users, Carers or Employers who are nominating a Team or Individual will have the opportunity to acknowledge the positive contribution social workers have made for them.

The sixth Social Work Awards will be held on Friday 9th March 2018, at the Galgorm Resort.

2 The fifth Social Work Awards were held in November 2016. They were a great success with 93 applications from across all sectors and all parts of Northern Ireland. The 2016 winners were:

Children’s Services (Team Award): Specialist Fostering Team (NHSCT)

Adult Services (Team Award): Dementia Home Support Team (NHSCT)

Partnership (Team Award): The Regional Adult Safeguarding Team (BHSCT/SEHSCT/NHSCT/UU)

Learning and Development (Individual Award): Jane McCullough (SEHSCT)

Children’s Services (Individual Award): Geraldine Boyle (SHSCT)

Adult Services (Individual Award): Angela Wilson (SHSCT)

Newly Qualified Social Worker (Individual Award): Jonathan Dillon (NHSCT)

NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award: Jean O’Neill (PBNI)

Who can enter?

The Awards are open to social workers and teams working in the statutory, voluntary, private, education and training sectors in Northern Ireland. Applications are welcome from all areas of social work; you do not have to be working in a unique project to submit an application. Teams and individuals working in core social work teams/posts are encouraged to apply. The NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award is open to social workers in the service or who have retired. Previous applicants are welcome to reapply if their application has a different practice focus. Please read all of the information in this booklet before you complete and send in your entry.

You can download a Word version of this information pack with entry forms from www.niscc.info. Completed entry forms must be emailed as a Word document by the endorser (or proposer of the Lifetime Achievement Award) to the NISCC at [email protected] by 12noon on Wednesday 25th October 2017.

3 What the judges are looking for

Seven awards will be presented for excellence, along with a Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by the Northern Ireland Association of Social Workers.

1. Children’s Services Team of the Year 2. Adult Services Team of the Year 3. Partnership Team of the Year 4. Learning and Development Award of the Year 5. Children’s Services Social Worker of the Year 6. Adult Services Social Worker of the Year 7. Newly Qualified Social Worker of the Year 8. Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by the Northern Ireland Association of Social Workers

All entries must show how the work is involving and benefiting people who use social work services. Applications must demonstrate the unique contribution that social work has made to their work, team, service users or carers.

Entries are invited from all types of social work services and can be from any social work setting or organisation in Northern Ireland.

The judging panels will be chaired by senior representatives responsible for promoting high standards of social work in Northern Ireland. Panel members will include service users, social work academics and members of the Northern Ireland Association of Social Workers.

The judges will be looking for evidence of the individual or team’s achievements. The application must demonstrate what is excellent about the social work practice and the positive impact on individuals, groups and communities.

The finalists will be invited to a lunch and Award ceremony on Friday 9 th March 2018 at the Galgorm Resort.

4 The Awards

1. Children’s Services Team of the Year

For this Award the judges welcome entries from teams that can demonstrate how they are making a positive difference to the lives of children and families.

Submissions should demonstrate:  The contribution the team makes to Children’s Services  How the team puts children and families at the centre of their work  Evidence of the benefits of the work to children and families  Evidence of the quality and effectiveness of the team  What makes this an award-winning team

Quotes/testimonies from service users/carers, other professionals strengthen a submission

2. Adult Services Team of the Year

For this Award the judges welcome entries from teams that can demonstrate how they are making a positive difference to the lives of adults.

Submissions should demonstrate:  The contribution the team makes to Adult Services  How the team puts adult service users at the centre of their work  Evidence of the benefits of the work to adult service users  Evidence of the quality and effectiveness of the team  What makes this an award-winning team

3. Partnership Team of the Year

For this Award the judges welcome entries from partnerships which demonstrate a coordinated approach to the delivery of services by partner organisations.

Submissions should demonstrate:  The vision and achievements of the partnership  Evidence of the benefits to the partner organisations, to the communities they serve and to individual people who use services and their carers  How the team puts service users and carers at the centre of their work  Improvements in the quality and effectiveness of the service as a result of the work undertaken  What makes this an award-winning team

5 4. Learning and Development Award of the Year

This Award is for individuals or teams who through education, learning and development make a difference to developing social work practice. This may include reflective practice, research, evidence based practice, practice learning, coaching and mentoring and direct training.

Submissions should demonstrate:

Team/Individual  The contribution this team/individual makes to learning and development.  How the team/individual puts learners at the centre of their work  Evidence of the benefits of the work to social workers/social work students  Evidence of the quality and effectiveness of the team/individual  What makes this an award winning team/individual

Quotes/testimonies from social workers/ social work students, service users/ carers, other professionals strengthen a submission.

5. Children’s Services Social Worker of the Year

This Award is for the individual Children’s Services Social Worker who provides a service that makes a difference to the lives of children, families and communities.

When nominating a social worker for this award, please outline what makes this social worker’s practice excellent. Please include examples of the contribution this social worker has made to children’s lives. Quotes and testimonies from service users, carers and other professionals strengthen a submission.

6. Adult Services Social Worker of the Year

This Award is for the individual Adult Services Social Worker who provides a service that makes a difference to the lives of individuals, families and communities.

When nominating a social worker for this award, please outline what makes this social worker’s practice excellent. Please include examples of the contribution this social worker has made to people’s lives. Quotes and testimonies from service users, carers and other professionals strengthen a submission.

6 7. Newly Qualified Social Worker of the Year

This Award is for the newly qualified social worker who provides a service that makes a difference to the lives of individuals, families and communities.

To be eligible to apply for this Award the social worker must have successfully completed the Assessed Year in Employment (AYE) and be in the first two years of post-AYE social work employment .

When nominating a social worker for this award, please outline what makes this social worker’s practice excellent. Please include examples of the special contribution this social worker has made to people’s lives. Quotes and testimonies from service users, carers and other professionals strengthen a submission.

8. NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award

Do you work with or know an exceptional social worker? Would you like them to be recognized by the profession?

The NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award was established to recognise those social workers who have worked consistently and steadfastly to improve social work services and/or practice in their field or area of expertise.

Their significant contribution may have been through leadership or promoting best practice in their area of social work expertise, demonstrating innovation in practice, contributing to research or education and training or being a published author or being recognised as an expert by colleagues due to a lifetime of professional experience.

Being a lifetime award, these social workers will have demonstrated leadership or innovation over a full social work career.

The NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award is your opportunity to honour a colleague, by highlighting their hard work and commitment throughout their social work career. Social workers currently in the service and those who have retired from the service can be nominated for this Award.

 That the social worker has worked consistently and steadfastly to improve social work services and/or practice throughout their social work career

 That the social worker has made one or more outstanding contributions or a series of significant contributions, to advance, promote or improve social work practice and/or services and/or policy in Northern Ireland

 If possible, examples of the special lifetime contribution they have made should be included along with quotes/ testimonies from service users, carers and other professionals

7 How to enter

1. The information pack, which includes the entry forms, can be downloaded from the NISCC website www.niscc.info.

2. Only social workers registered with the NISCC are eligible to enter the Awards. The only exception is social workers who are retired and are being considered for the NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award.

3. Previous applicants are welcome to reapply. Previous Award winners are only eligible to reapply if their application has a different practice focus.

4. Entries must be endorsed by a senior manager and submitted by email as a Word document to the NISCC at [email protected] by 12noon on 25th October 2017. (Entries for the NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award do not require a managerial endorsement and can be emailed to NISCC by the person proposing the individual social worker for the award.)

5. Clearly indicate the Award you are entering. A project may only be entered for one category.

6. Organisations can enter more than one category, however, each submission must be entirely separate and on an individual entry form.

7. For the Team Awards, the entry form must be supported by a submission of no more than 1000 words.

8. For the Individual Awards the entry form must be supported by a submission from a proposer of no more than 500 words.

9. For the Learning and Development Award, team or individual, the entry must be supported by a submission of no more than 1000 words.

10. For the Lifetime Achievement Award, the entry must be supported by a submission of no more than 1000 words.

11. Supplementary material cannot be submitted.

12. By entering you agree to the rules and conditions of entry set out on page 10 of this pack.

13. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

8 Entry information

Publicity

By entering the Social Work Awards, entrants agree to take part in any publicity and to the contents of their submission being used in media releases.

The ceremony and Awards

Entrants must be available to attend the lunch and Award ceremony on Friday 9 th March 2018, 10:00 – 2:00 at the Galgorm Resort.

• Members of the judging panel cannot have participated in any work entered for the Awards. • Finalists for the Team Awards will be allocated a maximum of six places for the Awards ceremony. • Finalists for the Individual Awards will be allocated three places for the Awards ceremony • Trophies will be awarded to the winner of each category. • Certificates will be awarded to all finalists. • Organisations, teams or groups must be able to attend the event to accept the Award or certificate in person. • If, either before or after any Award is presented, it subsequently emerges the entrant breached the rules, the judges can disqualify the entrant. In such an event, the winner of the Award shall return the trophy and certificate.

Data Protection Act

The Health & Social Care Board is registered with the Information Commissioner and data supplied by you will be processed in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act. The information you provide will be used to process your entry and keep you informed of the Awards and for publicity.

Shortlisting

There will be a maximum of three finalists selected for each of the Team, Individual Awards and Learning and Development Award of the Year. The finalists will be notified by Friday 8th December 2017.

9 Rules and conditions of entry

Entry rules

1. All entries must be received by 12 noon on 25th October 2017.

2. Entries must be endorsed by a senior manager and submitted by email as a Word document to NISCC at [email protected] by 12.00pm on 25th October 2017. (Entries for the NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award do not require a managerial endorsement and can be emailed to NISCC by the person proposing the individual social worker for the award.)

3. Entry is free.

4. You must provide the information requested in the information pack.

5. All entries must include the name and contact details of a representative of the team or social worker’s organisation to confirm they are authorised and suitable to enter the Awards.

6. Team Awards - each entry must be supported by a submission of no more than 1000 words.

7. Individual Awards - each entry must be supported by a 500 word submission written by the person nominating them for the award.

8. Learning and Development Award – each entry must be supported by a 1000 word submission written by the person nominating them for the award.

Judging

1. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

2. No liability arising from entering or sending a submission for the Social Work Awards shall pertain to the promoters.

10 Social Work Awards Entry form – Team of the Year Awards (page 1 of 3)

Submissions for entry for any of the four Team Awards should be completed using pages 11 – 13. The Endorser Declaration on page 12 must be completed by a person who is authorised to confirm the suitability of the project and the social workers involved for entry in the Awards.

Award category (please tick which Team Award you are entering)

Award 1 – Children’s Services Team of the Year

Award 2 – Adult Services Team of the Year

Name of team/project/initiative: Organisation name: Work address:

Details of contact person for this entry: Name: Daytime phone number: Email: Details of social workers included in this team nomination: Social workers name (as will appear on the certificate if a NISCC registration number finalist)

Team declaration

All social workers listed on page 11 of this entry understand that this entry may be used to publicise the Social Work Awards and consent to names and images being used for promotional material and publicity purposes. All of those nominated have read and accept the rules of entry for the Social Work Awards.

Endorser declaration

All entries must be emailed to NISCC (as a Word document) by the endorser, a senior manager in the organisation which employs the social worker confirming they are eligible to enter the Awards.

I declare that all the details on this form are correct. I am authorised to submit this entry on behalf of the team. I support the submission of this application for a Team Award in the Social Work Awards. I can confirm that the social workers involved in the submission have consented to the nomination and are registered with NISCC.

Endorser name:

Endorser job title:

Organisation represented:

Organisation address (including postcode):

Daytime phone no: Date approved:

Email address:

1000 word submission

Your submission for Children’s and Adult Services Team of the Year Awards must include a brief description of the team/project/initiative and address the judging criteria for this award as outlined below.

 The contribution the team makes to Children’s/Adult Services  How the team puts children and families/adults at the centre of their work  Evidence of the benefits of the work to children and families/adults  Evidence of the quality and effectiveness of the team  What makes this an award-winning team

Submissions for entry for any of the four Team Awards should be completed using pages 14 – 16. The Endorser Declaration on page 15 must be completed by a person who is authorised to confirm the suitability of the project and the social workers involved for entry in the Awards.

Award category (please tick which Team Award you are entering)

Award 3 – Partnership Team of the Year

Name of team/project/initiative: Organisation name: Work address:

Team declaration

All social workers listed on page 14 of this entry understand that this entry may be used to publicise the Social Work Awards and consent to names and images being used for promotional material and publicity purposes. All of those nominated have read and accept the rules of entry for the Social Work Awards.

Endorser declaration

All entries must be emailed to NISCC (as a Word document) by the endorser, a senior manager in the organisation which employs the social worker confirming they are eligible to enter the Awards.

I declare that all the details on this form are correct. I am authorised to submit this entry on behalf of the team. I support the submission of this application for a Team Award in the Social Work Awards. I can confirm that the social workers involved in the submission have consented to the nomination and are registered with NISCC.

Endorser name:

Endorser job title:

Email address:

Your submission for Partnership Team of the Year Awards must include a brief description of the team/project/initiative and address the judging criteria for this award as outlined below.

 The vision and achievements of the partnership  Evidence of the benefits to the partner organisations, to the communities they serve and to individual people who use services and their carers  How the team puts service users and carers at the centre of their work  Improvements in the quality and effectiveness of the service as a result of the work undertaken  What makes this an award-winning partnership

16 Social Work Awards Entry form – Learning and Development Award of the Year (page 1 of 5)

Submissions for the Learning and Development Award should be completed using pages 17 - 21. The Endorser Declaration on pages 18 (for team entries) and 20 (for individual entries) must be completed by a person who is authorised to confirm the suitability of the team/project /initiative and the social worker/s for entry for the Award.

Award 4 – Learning and Development Award of the Year

Individual

Learning and Development Award of the Year - Team Name of team/project/initiative: Organisation name: Work address:

Social Work Awards Entry form – Learning and Development Award of the Year (page 2 of 5)

Team declaration

All social workers listed on page 17 of this entry understand that this entry may be used to publicise the Social Work Awards and consent to names and images being used for promotional material and publicity purposes. All of those nominated have read and accept the rules of entry for the Social Work Awards. 17 Endorser declaration for team entries-Learning and Development Award of the Year

All entries must be emailed to NISCC (as a Word document) by the endorser, a senior manager in the organisation which employs the social workers confirming they are eligible to enter the Awards.

I declare that all the details on this form are correct. I am authorised to submit this entry on behalf of the team. I support the submission of this application for the Learning and Development Award of the Year. I can confirm that the social workers involved in the submission have consented to the nomination and are registered with NISCC.

Endorser name:

Endorser job title:

Email address:

Learning and Development Award of the Year - Individual Entry

Details of social worker nominated for the Award Name: NISCC Registration Number:

Name of the organisation they work for: Job Title:

Social Worker’s Work Address: Daytime phone no:

Email address:

Declaration by the person proposing the social worker for individual entry- Learning and Development Award of the Year

I declare that all the details on this form are correct. I have notified the social worker named above that I have proposed them for this Award. I understand that this entry may be used to publicise the Social Work Awards and I consent to names and images being used for promotional material and publicity purposes. I have read and accept the rules of entry for the Social Work Awards.

Details of person proposing this nomination Your name: Daytime phone no:

Please state how you know the social worker e.g. service user, carer, colleague, manager, social worker:

Work address - if applicable

Email address:

Endorsement from the social worker’s employer

All entries must be endorsed and emailed to NISCC (as a Word document) by a senior manager in the organisation which employs the social worker confirming they are eligible to enter the Awards.

I support the submission of this application for an Individual Award in the Social Work Awards. I can confirm that the social worker involved in the submission has consented to their nomination and is registered with NISCC. I declare that all the details on this form are correct. I am authorised to submit this entry on behalf of the organisation.

Work Address:

Daytime phone no: Email:

Your submission for the Learning and Development Award of the Year must include a brief description of the work setting and address the judging criteria for this award: (This is the form for the Learning and Development Award of the Year- both individual and team submissions)

 The contribution this team/individual makes to learning and development.  How the team/individual puts learners at the centre of their work  Evidence of the benefits of the work to social workers/social work students  Evidence of the quality and effectiveness of the team/individual  What makes this an award winning team/individual

21 Social Work Awards Entry form – Social Worker of the Year Awards (page 1 of 2)

Submissions for entry for any of the three Individual Awards should be completed using pages 22 - 23. The entrant must agree to their nomination. The proposer’s declaration below must be completed. The endorser declaration on page 23 must be completed by a person who is authorised by the social worker’s organisation to confirm they are eligible to enter the Award.

Award category (please tick the Individual Award for which you are entering a nomination)

Award 5 – Children’s Services Social Worker of the Year

Award 6 – Adult Services Social Worker of the Year

Award 7 – Newly Qualified Social Worker of the Year

Details of social worker nominated for the Award Name: NISCC Registration Number:

Name of the organisation they work for: Job Title:

Social Worker’s Work Address: Daytime phone no:

Email address:

Declaration by the person proposing the individual social worker

Email address:

22 Social Work Awards Entry form – Social Worker of the Year Award (page 2 of 2)

Endorsement from the social worker’s employer

All entries must be endorsed and emailed to NISCC (as a Word document) by a senior manager in the organisation which employs the social worker confirming they are eligible to enter the Awards.

I support the submission of this application for an Individual Award in the Social Work Awards. I can confirm that the social worker involved in the submission has consented to their nomination and is registered with the NISCC. I declare that all the details on this form are correct. I am authorised to submit this entry on behalf of the organisation.

Work Address:

Daytime phone no: Email:

500 word submission When nominating a social worker for this award, please include a brief description of where they work. Please outline what makes this social worker’s practice excellent, include examples of the contribution this social worker has made to people’s lives. Quotes and testimonies from service users, carers and other professionals strengthen a submission.

23 Social Work Awards Entry form – NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award (page 1 of 2)

Submissions for entry for the NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award should be completed using pages 24 - 25. The entrant must agree to their nomination. The proposer’s declaration below must be completed. The entry must be emailed by the proposer to the NISCC as a Word document. The form does not require additional endorsement by a senior manager from the social worker’s employing organisation.

Award 8 – NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award – Individual

Details of social worker nominated for the Award Name: NISCC Registration Number (if applicable):

Name of the organisation they work for Job Title (if applicable): (if applicable):

Address: Daytime phone no:

Email address:

Declaration by the person proposing the individual social worker

Email address:

24 NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award Entry form – Individual Award (page 2 of 2)

1000 word submission Please outline what makes this social worker’s practice excellent and how long they have been in social work. You should include examples of the contribution this social worker has made to people’s lives. Quotes from service users, carers and other professionals are helpful.

 That the social worker has worked consistently and steadfastly to improve social work services and/or practice throughout their social work career.

 That the social worker has made one or more outstanding contributions or a series of significant contributions, to advance, promote or improve social work practice and/or services and/or policy in Northern Ireland.

 If possible, examples of the special lifetime contribution they have made should be included along with quotes/ testimonies from service users, carers and other professionals.