Profiles
7 April
Others
8 April
Spotlights
Dawn Halford
Dawn is a social worker at City of Wolverhampton Council and has been recognised by Sarah Hartill
Dawn has been an IRO and Conference Chair in Wolverhampton for many years and has committed to supporting the children and families she works with. Dawn has built relationships with children and families that have allowed her to be that consistent person through times of change. Dawn is known for her skills to listen and guide people through difficult and challenging decisions, from foster carers, Social Workers, parents of young babies to teenagers, Dawn is skilled in changing her approach to ensure a valuable connection is made.
As an IRO Dawn is committed to challenging any elements of the care plan that are not addressing the needs of the children. Dawn is fair and kind but does not lose sight of the impact any drift has on the child and their family.
Within any work that Dawn completed you can see the child voice shining through!
Emma Gudgeon
Emma is a NQSW at Southampton City Council and has been recognised by Stuart Webb
Emma is a newly qualified social worker who has recently completed her ASYE at Southampton, working in the Young People's Service coming from a strong background in practice with those who are at risk of going Missing, being Exploited or Trafficked (MET team). Towards the end of her ASYE year, Emma was selected for the role of Specialist Social Worker - Contextual Safeguarding. Emma now supports practitioners to use specialist tools to consider the impact of contextual harm, to map out the influence of networks (people and places) on young people's behaviour choices as a way of broadening practitioner understanding of what might be happening in the young person's system and identify the strengths and points of safety, as well as to create a more joined up picture of how the young person may experience an increase in risk. Emma facilitated a Context Assessment to consider a peer group of three young people open to the Young People's Service (Children's Services) who were aged 13-14 with extensive professional network involvement due to their use of substances, violence, criminality, carrying and using knives, and frequent sustained missing episodes. The purpose of the assessment, involving the professional network, was to identify opportunities to increase safety within the peer group rather than adopt the approach of seeking to disrupt what may be viewed as an "unhealthy" peer group. Emma shared the tools that she would use to undertake the assessment and the rationale behind them. Many of the professionals present seemed reluctant to adopt a new way of working and Emma was met with some challenge about the benefit of this assessment in addition to the child protection and Risk Outside the Home plans already in place. Emma expertly heard and acknowledged the views of the professionals and was able to reframe this challenge to invite the professionals to consider the importance of working holistically, mapping the interactions of those individual plans onto the group as a whole (taking an ecological approach), providing an additional perspective and some new actions to take forward to increase safety. This was an extremely advanced direct observation to undertake at the end of ASYE year and we all learned so much from the exercise and we are delighted that Emma is pioneering new approaches to working with our young people in ways that will promote safety and increase advocacy.
Fazeela Hafejee
Fazeela is an assistant director at Adults with Disabilities and has been recognised by Ruth Bartlett
I contacted Bradford Council to attempt to convince them to embrace a wider neurodiversity strategy rather than specialising in autism alone. I was frustrated with the lack of acknowledgement of ADHD as a disability more generally. I ended up inviting Fazeela to lunch at my house with some other interested parties. Even though I don't represent a particular organisation and she is very busy, she made the time to come. It was immediately clear that she has already made a lot of progress towards transforming experiences for neurodivergent adults in Bradford. I went on to speak at an event her team organised to promote neurodiversity and have kept in touch since then. She is a visionary who is both strategic and compassionate and isn't afraid to rock the boat. I would love for her to receive public acknowledgement for her work.
Lauren Warner
Lauren is a senior social worker at Gloucestershire County Council and has been recognised by Helen Simpson
Lauren is an outstanding social worker who truly embodies the values of her profession! Her commitment to person-centred practice and advocacy for those who may struggle to be heard is incredibly important, especially in a challenging environment like an inpatient mental health hospital.
Her enthusiasm and dedication not only uplift her colleagues but also create a supportive atmosphere for the individuals she serves. It’s inspiring to hear about her collaboration with academics and her contributions to relevant discussions, such as the article on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.This shows her commitment to continuous learning and addressing pressing social issues.
Recognizing professionals like Lauren is crucial, as they play a vital role in promoting social justice and enhancing the well-being of their communities.
Sian Alderson
Sian is a team manager at City of York and has been recognised by Cat Middleton
Sian is new to City of York however I have worked with her for a long time. Sian is dedicated, committed and skilled in both direct social work with children and families as well as with supporting her colleagues, managers and other agencies. Sian is able to pick up and run with work with competence and she will ask questions where needed but with a particular eye for detail. Sian is an excellent addition to the City of York team.
Ferenkeh Jalloh
Ferenkeh is a social work leader at North London Foundation Trust
- I am honoured to nominate Ferekeh Jalloh, who is a dedicated and passionate social worker who is tirelessly working to implement positive change in our community. Over the past working years, Ferekeh has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advocating for the underserved and marginalised populations we serve, consistently going above and beyond to ensure his clients receive the support and resources they need. It is my firm belief that Ferekeh's tireless efforts and transformative impact make him a truly deserving candidate for this recognition. I cannot think of a more worthy individual to champion the critical work of social workers and the difference he can make in the lives of those he serves.
- Ferenkeh has been a wonderful help and support as a social worker, colleague and friend. He’s always preforming his duties at his highest ability and ready to make an extra mile for those in need. Apart from that, he is knowledgeable and experienced in his field of practice and beyond. - Ima kreismane
- Ferenkeh is one of the most compassionate social workers I have ever encountered. His dedication to improving lives and enhancing services is unmatched. He brings creativity and innovation to his work, unafraid to think outside the box and inspire others to achieve impactful outcomes on meaningful projects. I firmly believe he deserves to be celebrated and recognized for his outstanding contributions. - Javed Kootbaully
- Very resourceful, caring, a good team leader, agreat colleague and insightful. A great addition to any organisation in his area of expertise and beyond. - Filipe Sousa
- Ferenkeh is an amazing consultant social worker! Whilst completing my practice educator course he was extremely helpful and supportive. He has such an encouraging personality helping others to become a better social worker for themselves and for those that we work for. He is also so determined to ensure social workers remained valued, seen and heard in the NHS which is something that of course is so important to us as social workers too. Ferenkeh has been qualified for a number of years but is extremely professional and continues to uphold his social work values and ensures that this is reflected in his practice. - Rachel Okenla
- As a social worker in a fast-paced environment consulting on cases with clients with mental health, he has shown compassion and take a client first and friendly approach to working whereby the outcomes for clients have been favourable.
- This is a strong and heartfelt nomination for Ferenkeh, highlighting both his dedication and impact in the field of social work. The recognition of his commitment to excellence and his role as a change agent underscores why he stands out as a candidate for the award. He is passionate about ensuring that all voices are heard and is eager to advocate for positive changes that benefit both his colleagues and patients. I remembered a time when Ferenkeh was chosen to be staff governor in a previous trust he worked. His approachable and empathetic nature makes him someone people naturally turn to for advice, and he has the ability to bring people together to work towards common goals. We need more people like Ferenkeh in this field. - Kenisha David
- He has been nominated for all the work he is doing with students and for re-starting the social work forum for all SW in the trust to benefit from. Here we share ideas and resources and help each other develop into more competent professionals.
- My organisation is a mental health service and the social care service have been separated from the mental health service. Therefore, to prevent isolation of the social workers within the mental health service, a monthly group supervision has been arranged online on Microsoft teams by Ferenkeh for social workers in both the mental health service and the social care service in the borough to meet to reflect and speak freely about our needs collectively. Personally, Ferenkeh is my supervisor and I think he is an amazing supervisor due to his positivity. He has always worked with me in a strength-based approach which has helped me build my confidence. He always see the cup half full rather than half empty; He saw my capabilities and encouraged me to believe in myself. This helped me to build my confidence in all aspects of my work for the benefit of my colleagues and clients. I even had the courage to apply for a higher band job and I was successful.
- Ferenkeh is an amazing colleague. Always ready to help and support the learning development of others in all aspects. He is committed to deliver the best care services and does not shy away from challenges. He is confident, determined, caring, thoughtful, non judgmental, passionate in everything he commits too. An individual that is seriously serious in safeguarding, advocating and putting into practice his knowledge and skills to ensure the best outcome for the most vulnerable members of our diverse community. His motivation inspires me hence the reason I am nominating Ferenkeh who continues to thrive and inspire others, I am grateful that we have crossed paths and for all the support selfless given. You are appreciated.
- Ferenkeh is a hard working, visionary leader who is dedicated to quality improvement and doing the best for both clients, team mates and colleagues. He is fair, fearless and won’t hesitate to stand for what is right whether it directly affects him or others. Having worked with and supervised him earlier in his journey I can only be thankful for having met and worked with Ferenkeh. - Admire Mukotekwa
- I joined the Trust over two and half years ago. At the time, there was no forum or platform known to me through which to interact with other Social Workers in relation to practice issues and career progression. Coincidentally, I met Ferenkeh at another engagement outside our organisation (Trust) and during the course of our conversation, we discovered that we work in the same Trust, although in different services and capacity. In his capacity as the Social Care Lead/Consultant in the Trust, Ferenkeh intervened on my behalf when I had difficulty with the HR of the Trust regarding short-payment of my salary for about 3 months, contrary to what was contained on my employment contract. Immediately Ferenkeh stepped in into the matter, I was paid the areas of the shortfall and my salary was adjusted to reflect was stated on my contract of employment. Furthermore, Ferenkeh introduced me to the Social Workers' Forum which he was facilitating at the time. Through the forum, I was able to meet other Social Workers as well as participate in discussions that were informative and instructive to my role and career. One of which was my progression to completion of practice Educator Course a year ago. Whilst I was undertaking this course, Ferenkeh advocated on my behalf to ensure that my service provided me with study leave as well as encouraged me through supervision. In terms of keeping up to date with our practice, Ferenkeh has been consistent with updating us with various training opportunities through emails, as well as the need to start the process of completing our CPD on time for registration renewal. As a result, I have eased my myself of the pressure from last minute renewal over the last two year.
Helen Nunn
Helen is a social worker at East London NHS Foundation Trust - Mental Health Street Triage
- Helen always demonstrates exceptional commitment and dedication to her patients and colleagues. She consistently goes above and beyond her duties to ensure that each patient receives the care, compassion and understanding they deserve.
Helen is a pillar for everyone she comes across, working tirelessly to ensure she does her best to make everyone happy. She is able to navigate complex situations with empathy and integrity making her an outstanding role model.
Helen is an exemplary professional who truly goes above and beyond in every aspect of her work, always putting a smile on everyone she come's across' face. - Alisha Martin - Helen goes above and beyond for her job and for her patients. She is very kind and is able to do the best for the patient in any situation. She is a great to talk to and is an amazing person all around. - Kye Enomoto
- Helen is always around whenever you need her. She's willing to help anyone she comes across and helps officers too. An all around amazing person!
- Always going above and beyond for her patients and colleagues. She was involved in the start up of the very successful role which has prevented people from going into hospital and receiving appropriate care in the community. Support collaborative working with the Police to promote inter-disciplinary working with the NHS and the Police, making everyone's experience of both services much better. She goes out of her way to ensure patients are looked after, and followed up safely, forming amazing therapeutic relationships, as well as doing an amazing job running the service whilst being on the shopfloor. She is AMAZING!
- Helen works extremely hard in her field and has put in lots of effort in making the street triage team and police service as integrated and run as smoothly as possible. She's a very personable and knowledgeable person. She is a vital and irreplaceable member of the team.
- Really able to offer a great level of expertise in dealing with people with mental health issues, a great asset to the team.
- Amazing dealing with individuals going through mental health crisis, always gives great advice, always approachable and friendly, is a go to person that can be trusted to get the individual the best help.
- Helen is incredibly hardworking, conscientious, and inspiring both as a leader and a person. Helen will always go out of her way to help and support others. Helen possesses amazing interpersonal skills and is able to communicate and listen to vulnerable people in such an effective manner. I have worked with Helen for a number of years and can safely say that she genuinely cares about 'people' and I can safely say that I am only too pleased to nominate her for this award without any hesitation. - Ricky Ozcan
- Helen works alongside the City of London police with the street triage team, she has consistently provided critical support to frontline officers ensuring that people in crisis receive the best possible care upon coming in to contact with us. - Alex Brierley
- Helen is such a brilliant support. Her knowledge is second to none and not only that, she is such a beacon of positivity and light. We are so lucky to get to work with her! - PC Eleanor Gill
- Helen is incredible in her craft in every professional field. With her patience and compassion with patients. Her ability to build rapport is second to none and her knowledge and critical thinking and assessment not to mention handling of of patients is very reassuring to have when deployed in high risk situations with her by your side for the City of London Police. - PC DARYL POLLEY
- Helen has works tirelessly to ensure that people that the City of London Police come in contact with get the best service possible to them. The support, experience, and kindness she brings to everything we come into contact is astonishing.
- Helen is an amazing person and an amazing mental health Street triage nurse who always goes above and beyond to help people who are in crisis and always does more than she needs to in every which way. Helen I so kind, caring and treats every person with the upmost respect and companion. - Ryan Lowther
- Helen plays a key role in supporting the City of London Police approach mental health incidents and interacting with vulnerable people. Given CoLP's unique location, we interact with vulnerable people and those experiencing mental health crises daily and having Helen available on hand so often to offer us advice is a great asset. Whether Helen is interacting with ourselves or members of the public, she does so in a friendly and compassionate manner and is a fantastic and knowledgeable person to work alongside. - Harry Page.
- I am a police officer working on response for the City of London Police. I regularly deal with mental health incidents and Helen's help has been absolutely invaluable.
- Helen is the life and soul of the mental health street triage (a service in the square mile whereby she accompanies city of London police officers on mental health callout to reduce incarceration under s136 of the mental health act and prevent suicides). Many other local authorities ask me why this service works so well in the City and I, without hesitation, answer "Helen". The remit is not an easy one, dealing with people in crisis in the square mile, sometimes suicidal individuals on bridges, yet Helen has been doing it relentlessly since 2017. Thanks to Helen collaboration between the police and the NHS is good and fruitful in the city. In an evaluation from 2022 by the city and hackney public health team, it has been estimated that Mental Health Street triage pays for itself in cost averted at the system level and that it has potentially prevented 16 suicides, on top of improving the experience of people in crisis in the square mile, thanks to Helen they are treated with the compassion and care they deserve and not unnecessarily sectioned or criminalised. The force also feels more comfortable dealing with mental health issues. Helen is beyond devoted to the service and its success. she makes sure service users have a good experience and it shows because the feedback has been unanimously positive. It is very rare for a service to never have received a single complaint. Helen will also help partners and colleagues, her help with the bridge watch patrols has been invaluable, she has helped the programme lead develop the right training for the volunteers to verbally intervene with vulnerable people on the bridges, she is constantly supporting the city of London police's wellbeing offer by offering psychological support to officers on an ad hoc basis. Helen also presents on the mental health street triage at various suicide prevention forum to make sure to share learnings and good practice. - Claire Giraud
- Helen does fantastic work with the Mental Health Street Triage Team with the City of London Police. Helen is fully committed to helping those in mental health crisis getting the help they need. She takes time listen and understand their needs and try to help them in the least restrictive way possible. Helen is well liked by her team and the City of London Police and is a real asset to the team. - PC 691CP John Boyce
- Helen has provided so much support to Bridge Watch, a suicide prevention initiative. She has used her expertise to lead training for volunteers and provided them with the confidence to intervene with someone in distress. When on call, she has worked on interventions with volunteers and has modelled how to approach, listen and support someone. She does this in the most empathetic and understanding way in a stressful situation. She feedback to us with support after an intervention and offers her own time to support volunteers. She is amazing. - Paul Maloney
- ‘Helen always goes and beyond for service users ensuring they receive amazing care she also is very kind caring staff member she is always open others and to helping her team she’s an amazing team member. - Aaron Kah’
- ‘Helen works exceptionally well and gives us the best advice in situations. She goes above and beyond and is an extremely dedicated hard worker’
- ‘Helen is able to assist the police with the utmost professionalism. She is highly knowledgeable in her trade and makes the evaluation of subjects so much more positive. She is a key member for us at the City of London Police’
Michelle Hewitt
Michelle is a team manager at Worcestershire County Council and has been recognised by Alex Oldnall
- Michelle is a very supportive manager, she supports all of her team, is always available to listen to issues and concerns, provides weekly team get togethers and monthly team meetings and reflective sessions. She is very approachable and understanding of the pressures placed on the team. keeps every one informed and up to date on changes/ staffing issues and works hard to ensure that staff morale is high. - Wendy Buchanan
- I would like to nominate my manager Michelle Hewitt for this award. She has been a truly inspiration and motivation to the team and uphold strong ethics and values of the social work profession. She has been Area Manager for our community social work team in adult services for as long as it has existed. There has been several changes and challenges however she has positively managed them to support staff. Under her guidance we know that we are supported and listened to, and consequently we have a low staff turnover - people rarely leave! That stability enables us to work effectively together, knowing that Michelle has our backs.
She is a powerful advocate for us practitioners, and for the people we work for, and will always speak up for what it right. She has a wealth of experience and knowledge, with an incredible memory for even the more obscure policies, procedures and case law!
She is always available for any one of us for advice, discussion and reflection, and supervision session are always booked in and on time. Michelle demonstrates high level of leadership qualities by being supportive and understanding, we always know she is there if we need to talk, laugh, shout or cry. She encourages a positive work life balance, and models this too. She knows what wellbeing means to us, and never forgets a birthday.
"She is our rock and the very heart of our team." - Sinoj Sebastian - I wish to nominate Michelle Hewitt, team manager of the Worcester City Area Team, for amazing social worker award 2025.
Michelle embodies the qualities of an exceptional leader: hardworking, approachable, and deeply caring. Her protective and supportive nature ensures that every member of the team feels valued, safe, and empowered. Michelle has been instrumental in fostering a positive working environment. Her genuine care for her staff and commitment to their well-being is evident in the strong team morale and the high retention of long-standing staff members. She goes above and beyond to listen to concerns, provide guidance, and champion the needs of both her team and the individuals we support. Michelle has cultivated a culture of mutual respect and trust, where everyone is motivated to give their best. Her leadership inspires us to rise to challenges and continuously improve the quality of our work. Michelle's impact is not just on the team but on the lives of countless individuals and families who benefit from the dedication she instils in all of us. For her unwavering dedication, compassionate leadership, and the positive legacy she continues to build, Michelle truly deserves this recognition. - Michelle is my team manager and is an absolutely incredible social worker. She has supported and led the team with passion and has a wealth of knowledge that has lead the team from strength to strength.
Michelle is a fantastic advocate for other practitioners and people within the community.
She is compassionate, supportive and caring and is always there for advice, reflection, to chat, laugh or cry.
Michelle is one of the reasons I love my job so much and we are privileged to have her managing our team. – Alex Oldnall - Michelle is an amazing Team Manager. She balances being a great leader who is very professional, with being a friend. She is very caring and kind, and we as a team know that we can always approach her if and when we need support. Michelle really does deserve to be recognised as an exceptional Team Manager and Social Worker.
- Michelle is an outstanding team manager who exemplifies the very best in Adult Social Work leadership. Her dedication to fostering a supportive, collaborative, and resilient team environment has consistently resulted in exceptional outcomes for both staff and service users.Michelle is deeply committed to professional development, ensuring team members have access to training and guidance that enhances their skills and confidence. Michelle approaches challenges with creativity and compassion, offering solutions that prioritise the dignity and needs of individuals while maintaining high standards of practice. One of Michelle’s most remarkable qualities is their ability to lead with empathy, creating a culture where staff feel valued and motivated. She actively promotes mental resilience and well-being, fostering an environment where colleagues can thrive even in high-pressure situations. Michelle has demonstrated exceptional skill in handling complex cases, ensuring the team learns and grows from their experiences. Michelle’s leadership has had a measurable impact, from improved outcomes for service users to increased team morale. Her ability to inspire, guide, and support our team makes her a deserving nominee for Best Team Manager.
- Michelle has been an amazing manager, who has always expressed a positivity throughout the team even when faced with many challenges over the last few years!
Michelle is approachable and knowledgeable and she cares about all her team members. Michelle understands all the issues that we face, she shows good empathy and will always strive to help or seek guidance if she does not know the answer herself. Michelle has ensured that with her management and guidance her team are able to provide support to all the services users in need of our services or help and guidance. We feel that we are listened too, we can go to her for support about even the smallest thing. I think I can say for all of us, that we feel that we are one large family, with Michelle at the helm! – Rebecca Tandy - Michelle is a supportive and hardworking manager and always available to help if required. She provides a positive working environment for staff, where we feel that we are seen and heard. She has managed well with the changing structure within the organisation and raises any concerns we have to senior managers when necessary and advocates for her team.