Choose Social Work 2024

As part of Choose Social Work, we spoke to people with lived experience of the care system about how social workers made
a difference in their lives.

Here, we’ve highlighted Fatima Whitbread’s story. The former world javelin record holder’s traumatic childhood inspired her to advocate for children in care but left her without a positive view of social work. In 2023, Community Care and Essex County Council organised for the reality TV star to see how the profession had changed since she was a child.

In this video, Jenny Molloy talks to Lizzie and her former social worker, Janet, about the special relationship they built when Lizzie was preparing to leave care, that continues today.

She’s been a mother figure to me

Omaid Badar was social worker of the year in 2023. Here we’ve spoken to Omaid about his experience of being a refugee, how his time in care has informed his practice and his approach to social work.

Hear directly from social workers

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When social work becomes a family affair

As part of Community Care’s Choose Social Work campaign,
we asked social workers to

You can literally change a young person’s life

Dan has seen first-hand the stress social workers can be under and the impact this can have on young people. In this extract from a longer podcast episode, he shares his thoughts on the difference social work can make.

They helped me escape the life I was living as a teenager

Watch our video to hear some of Ethan’s story of his time in care, and the positive impact particular social workers had at a vulnerable time in his life.

As part of Choose Social Work, we spoke to current and former social workers about how they got into the profession, what they’ve learnt in their career and what they love about their job.

Prior to being elected as the first female MP for South Shields in 2013, Emma Lewell-Buck was a child protection social worker. Watch our video to hear a first-hand account of her experiences.

I was proud to be a social worker

A mother-daughter social worker duo speak about the impact social work has had on their family, the lessons they've learned and whether they would recommend it as a profession.

Tell them if there’s something you can’t do, tell them that you’ll go and see if you can find alternative ways, but don’t promise them because children hold you to those promises. And then if you can’t fulfil that promise, they won’t trust you

Take care of yourself first –

At 2023’s Social Worker of the Year Awards, Omaid Badar won both the children’s practitioner and overall winner’s prizes, with one judge describing him as “everything the profession is about when it’s at its best”.

One day with social workers showed Fatima Whitbread how much