As Social Work Week approaches, I find myself reflecting with pride and gratitude on my 20-year journey across local authority and NHS settings—two decades dedicated to adult learning disability services, safeguarding adults, and most recently, modern slavery across integrated care.
Throughout these years, I’ve been guided by the core values of social work—human rights, social justice, and respect for the dignity and worth of every person. Whether supporting individuals with learning disabilities to lead fulfilling lives or working to safeguard adults at risk, these values have shaped every conversation, decision, and partnership I’ve ever been part of.
For the past 10 years, I’ve brought the social work perspective into clinical commissioning/ Integrated Care Board (ICB), helping to embed person-centred, strengths-based practice into our health and care systems. It’s been an incredibly rewarding experience—bridging the gap between health and social care and ensuring that the voices of people with lived experience guide our work.
A particular area of passion has been leading on the modern slavery workstream within the ICB. Modern slavery is a complex and devastating form of abuse, and social work is uniquely positioned to identify, challenge, and disrupt exploitation, while providing trauma-informed support to survivors. It’s a powerful reminder that safeguarding is everyone’s business, and that integrated approaches are essential to protect the most vulnerable in our communities.
As I look back, I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved and equally excited for what lies ahead. Social workers are leaders, advocates, and change-makers. We bring empathy and evidence, collaboration and courage, to every table we sit at.
This Social Work Week, I celebrate all my colleagues and peers across sectors who continue to make a difference quietly, consistently, and with heart. Here’s to the next chapter of bringing social work values into every corner of our health and care.
