Peterborough practitioner picks up Social Worker of the Year Award for England

A children's social worker from Peterborough who qualified just three years ago won the top honour at the Social Worker of the Year Awards for England, co-sponsored by BASW.

Estelle Thain, who works in the Family Support Service at Peterborough City Council, landed the overall award and the Children’s Social Worker category prize at a ceremony in the Palace of Westminster on 30 November.

Ms Thain was one of 13 award winners at the event, marking the achievements of social workers throughout England. 

Bristol City Council's Annie Hudson received the Outstanding Contribution to Social Work Award for what judges described as "her bravery in allowing TV cameras to film her department in the BBC2 documentary Protecting our Children". Social workers and team managers at the council won widespread, though not universal, applause for the practice they demonstrated working on child protection cases during the three part BBC2 documenary series.

Ben Ross, a social worker with the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, received the Adult Social Worker of the Year Award.

The full list of category winners:

·       Children’s Social Worker of the Year – Estelle Thain, Peterborough City Council

·       Adult Social Worker of the Year – Ben Ross, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

·       Newly Qualified Children’s Social Worker of the Year – Nicola Lewis, Birmingham City Council

·       Newly Qualified Adult Social Worker of the Year – Olivia Mason, Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

·       Practice Teacher of the Year – Nicholas Barrow, Gloucestershire County Council

·       Team of the Year (Children’s Services) – Children who are Disabled Team (East), Dorset County Council

·       Team of the Year (Adult Services) – Safeguarding Adults Unit, Leicester City Council

·       Team Leader of the Year (Children’s Services) – Norma Barnes, London Borough of Islington

·       Team Leader of the Year (Adult Services) – Christine Jones, London Borough of Southwark

·       Overall Leader of Innovative Practice – Kim Lawson, London Borough of Islington

·       Best Social Work Employer – London Borough of Islington

·       Lifetime Achievement Award – Dorothy Bone, Portsmouth City Council

·       Outstanding Contribution to Social Work – Annie Hudson, Bristol City Council

·       Overall Social Worker of the Year – Estelle Thain, Peterborough City Council

More details and pictures from the ceremony will follow shortly.