The representation of Black social workers in the children’s services workforce in English councils halves between the front line and management, Department for Education (DfE) data has shown.

There is also a drop-off in the proportion of Asian practitioners and those from mixed or multiple ethnic groups at senior levels, compared with the front line, according to the figures, which date from September 2024.

By contrast, the proportion of white social workers increases with seniority, revealed the data, which has been published on the DfE’s children’s social care dashboard.

Chief social worker Isabelle Trowler said the figures showed action needed to be taken to ensure better representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff at senior level, which remained “very very white”.

Fall in Black representation at senior levels

The proportion of Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff in the children’s social work workforce in English councils (26.2%) is higher than in the general population (19%).

This is driven by the particularly high representation of Black staff, who accounted for 15.2% of children’s social workers, as of September 2024, compared with 4.2% of the population.

However, while Black staff accounted for 20.5% of case holders – which encompasses those in frontline roles who are not senior practitioners – this fell to 13.1% among senior social workers and 10.2% among managers.

Asian and mixed-heritage staff’s representation

Among Asian and mixed-heritage staff, there was a similar, though smaller-scale, drop-off. Asian staff accounted for 6.5% of the whole workforce, 6.9% of case holders, 6.3% of senior practitioners and 5.3% of managers, while mixed-heritage social workers were 3.6% of the workforce, 4% of case holders, 3.7% of senior practitioners and 3% of managers.

White staff exhibited the opposite trend, accounting for 67.7% of case holders, 75.9% of senior practitioners and 80.7% of managers.

The figures do not include the director of children’s services (DCS) role, 90% of whose postholders were white as of 2024, according to data from the Association of Directors of Children’s Services.

Senior leadership is ‘very very white’

Trowler addressed the issue in the opening session of Social Work Week, Social Work England’s annual programme of online events, which , this year, runs from 17-21 March 2025.

Isabelle Trowler, the chief social worker for children and families

“We have a really diverse junior part of our workforce, but we know that the leadership, particularly senior leadership, is very very white. And we have to do something about this.”

Trowler also referenced the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s recent report on race in child protection. This found that the race and ethnicity of children was often not recognised, appropriately explored or understood by practitioners, resulting in them not having a full understanding of children’s lived experience and the vulnerabilities they faced.

Workforce diversity ‘not translating into addressing of inequality’

“Even though we have this representation at junior levels of the workforce, that isn’t translating into addressing inequality in practice,” she added.

“Good representation at junior levels is absolutely necessary, but is not sufficient in seeing systemic shifts in the way we are working alongside families and understanding their experience and what they need from the state.”

A key initiatives to tackle racial inequalities in the social work workforce is the social care workforce race equality standard (SC-WRES).

Workforce race equality standard reveals inequalities

Under this, councils collect data on nine metrics measuring the experiences of their Black, Asian and minority ethnic social care staff against those of white counterparts, and then submit this to Skills for Care. They are also expected to draw up action plans to address the findings.

Data from the 2023 SC-WRES revealed that, compared with white staff, Black, Asian and minority ethnic social care workers had, in the previous 12 months, been:

• half as likely to be appointed to a job from a shortlisting;
• 40% more likely to enter formal disciplinary processes;
• more than twice as likely, as a regulated professional, to enter fitness to practise processes;
• 20% more likely to experience harassment, bullying or abuse from people who use social care, relatives or the public;
• 30% more likely to experience harassment, bullying or abuse from a colleague and 90% more likely to have experienced this from a manager;
• 10% more likely to leave their organisation.

More than half of councils in England are now signed up to the SC-WRES. However, unlike its NHS counterpart, the scheme receives no government funding, meaning it is resourced by Skills for Care and participating authorities.

by Isabelle Trowler

Some of you will have known and admired Sue very much; some of you will have heard of Sue by reputation.

More of you will have heard of the family safeguarding model – the practice framework for children’s social care that Sue tirelessly developed and helped scale up across England over the past 10 years.

‘She knew how intense and emotional the work can be’

Sue cared – a lot – about children and their families, but she also cared a lot about social work. She knew how highly skilled, intense and emotional the work can be.

She knew that social work can be frequently frightening, frustrating, worrying and deeply rewarding. It requires depth of thought and a generosity of spirit, resilience, enormous creativity and an ability to hold extensive power.

It is why she set out to create a practice framework that helped anchor the practitioner within a set of values and skills and which offers clarity of purpose.

The new statutory Children’s Social Care National Framework for England and the government’s reform programme for family help and child protection reflect much of Sue’s ambition for our sector. This is her proud legacy.

‘She had the courage and determination to drive through change’

Sue Williams was recognised for her outstanding contribution to children and families in the 2024 Frontline Awards (photo by Frontline)

I chair the children’s social care national practice group, which is a multidisciplinary, multi-agency group of experts whose role is to set the practice direction for local authority social worker. As a member of the group, Sue was always there banging her drum relentlessly and shamelessly!

Even when Sue became increasingly unwell, she still came because she had a point to make. And this is what I loved about her. Her tenacity and grace for what she believed to be right were second to none.

We have come a very long way since I sat on the Department for Education’s innovation board about 10 years ago and saw that twinkle in Sue’s eye.

Not long after, we took a punt and invested in her family safeguarding framework in Hertfordshire, where she had worked for many years.

Sue had that crucial courage, conviction, energy, insight and determination to drive through these kinds of changes; changes that will stick and make a positive difference for years to come.

‘Sue was a social worker through and through’

Many of us reading this will be deeply affected by Sue’s death because, even though you might not have known her personally, you may recognise her work in your own practice.

You will certainly recognise many of Sue’s attributes – because this is what makes you a good practitioner.

Sue was a social worker through and through. She loved our profession.

Even though her loss will be greatly felt, there is surely solace that Sue lived a purposeful life, making a positive, significant and lasting difference.

I know that Sue’s son will read this – never was there a son more loved – and I hope it offers him and his family some solace too.

Sue Williams died on 5 January 2025 at the age of 69. Her family have shared that donations to the Trussell Trust, Cancer Research UK or Arthur Rank Hospice would be much appreciated in her memory.

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A ‘massive reduction’ in the care population, with many more children cared for at home or with extended family, will be the key measure of success for the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) social care reforms.

That was the message from the DfE’s chief social worker for children and families, Isabelle Trowler, in a session today at Social Work Week, the annual online event organised by Social Work England.

Trowler also said that she thought that the general election was unlikely to alter the trajectory of the DfE’s reforms to children’s services, as the needs of children and families, and the problems facing the sector, would not change with the advent of a new government.

Stable Homes, Built on Love strategy

She made the comments alongside DfE colleagues in a session on the department’s reform agenda, Stable Homes, Built on Love, launched last year.

The reforms are designed to significantly enhance early support to families in need, to enable more children to stay at home, while enabling family networks and kinship carers to care for more of those who cannot stay with their parents.

Other goals include significantly improving the quality of child protection practice, enhancing the commissioning of care placements, boosting support to early career social workers and setting rules to limit councils’ use of locum practitioners.

In the Social Work Week session’s question and answer section, a delegate asked what would show that the DfE’s reforms had been a success in 10 years time.

‘Massive reduction’ in care population is key objective

Trowler replied: “We [will] have a massive reduction in the number of looked-after children and children are living happily and safely with their birth parents and extended families and those families are well supported and the workforce is truly multidisciplinary, with truly expert knowledge and skill, and the child protection part of the system is razor sharp in identifying significant harm and acting upon it quickly.”

The care population in England rose for the 15th consecutive year in the 12 months to March 2023, to 83,840.

The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, on which much of the DfE’s reform agenda is based, predicted the care population would reach almost 100,000 by 2032, on current trends.

In its final report, the review, led by Josh MacAlister, predicted that full implementation of its measures, backed by £2.6bn over four years, would reduce the care population to about 70,000 by 2032.

However, the DfE has only committed £200m over two years so far while it tests its proposed reforms.

‘Reforms’ direction of travel will continue’ post-election – Trowler

Another delegate to the Social Work Week session asked what the impact of the general election, due by January next year, would be on the reform agenda.

“The children’s social care system won’t change, regardless of the outcome of any general election,” said Trowler. “The needs of the families have been pretty consistent over the 30 years I’ve been in the sector.

“And the problems we’ve got with things like placement sufficiency, that’s not going to change either. In general, the direction of travel is going to continue. Everyone involved in the sector wants to do the right thing by children and families.”

The Labour Party is strongly tipped by pollsters to form the next government and it is unclear what its election manifesto will pledge in relation to children’s social care.

Giving the party’s initial response to Stable Homes, Built on Love last year, shadow children’s minister Helen Hayes said it was “not the radical reset that the [MacAlister] review demanded and that we need”.

Specifically, she criticised the plan for lacking a “vision for the direction of children’s social care”, a workforce plan and action to tackle “profiteering” in the provision of care placements.

Since Lyn Romeo announced her retirement in October last year, the tributes to the now former chief social worker for adults from across the profession have been warm and fulsome.

Lyn Romeo is without a doubt a social worker for social workers! Will be hugely missed by many and certainly me. https://t.co/S4ck6Tsi7U

— Warren Belcher (@ermate) October 5, 2023

Behind anything that is good in social care over the last 15yrs at a national level, if you look you will find @LynRomeo_CSW was very likely behind it, working quietly & diligently to ensure rights for ppl & support for SWs. A real force for good. We will miss her. Thanks Chief. https://t.co/u5cRw8NXK3

— Rob Mitchell (@RobMitch92) February 2, 2024

‘A great role model for bringing people together’

The Adult Principal Social Worker Network said that Romeo, who stepped down at the end of January, “exemplifies kindness and compassionate leadership”, and was a “great role model for bringing people together”.

These comments capture three beliefs about Romeo’s tenure as chief social worker for adults: that she has achieved things, demonstrated strong social work values and worked collegiately.

Alongside her children and families counterpart, Isabelle Trowler, Romeo has also embedded the role of chief social worker within the civil service.

Though England has had a chief medical officer (CMO) since 1855, and a chief nursing officer (CNO) since 1941, it was not until 2013 that the country acquired its first – and second – chief social workers.

However, despite their short lifespan to date, the roles now appear to be fixtures. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is now recruiting for Romeo’s successor, while Trowler is at the heart of making the Department for Education’s (DfE) children’s social care reforms a reality.

The blueprint for the chief social worker role

The recommendation to appoint a chief social worker came from Professor Eileen Munro, in the final report of her landmark review of child protection from the government in 2011.

Munro saw the role as serving three overarching functions:

• Providing professional advice to government, including on the challenges in delivering social work services and the profession’s contribution to achieving local and national outcomes.
• Promoting improvements to social work, including the adoption of evidence-informed practice.
• Promoting social work’s role in society and raising public awareness of, and confidence in, the profession.

One chief or two

While Munro recommended the creation of a single role, spanning children’s and adults’ services, the government struggled to recruit an overarching chief social worker.

So, in 2012, ministers decided to appoint two chiefs – one for each service. The move was criticised at the time by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) and the then College of Social Work as undermining social work’s integrity as a single profession.

However, Munro subsequently came round to the idea, warning that a single postholder would “drown” under the pressure of covering both services.

Twelve years on, Romeo is convinced this was the right decision.

“I think it would be quite challenging to have someone overseeing that across two departments and the complete social work sector,” she says. “I think in the end it’s worked well that there have been two of us.”

Isabelle Trowler, chief social worker children and families (left), with Lyn Romeo

Of her relationship with Trowler, she says: “We’ve worked really well together and had a real impact on those shared areas.”

Embedding social work values in practice

When asked about her key achievements as chief, Romeo says social work values and approaches are now much more central to adult social care than they were prior to 2013, as embodied in the Care Act 2014.

The legislation, which started its journey through parliament just as Romeo took up her post, made promoting wellbeing the first principle of adult social care.

As set out in section 1 of the act, this included promoting a person’s control over day-to-day life, including their care and support. Also, assessments became focused on identifying the person’s desired outcomes, with councils required to consider how these could be met other than through the provision of care and support (sections 9 and 10).

This should include considering the person’s own strengths and their support network, according to the statutory guidance under the act, which councils are required to follow other than in exceptional circumstances.

Championing strengths-based approaches

While Romeo was not involved in the drafting of the Care Act, she has since sought to embed its strengths-based principles in practice.

Photo: fotolia/daoduangnan

Notably, in 2019, the DHSC, at Romeo’s initiation, published a strengths-based practice framework and handbook. This defined a strengths-based approach, rooted it in the Care Act, set out what the key enablers were to make it happen and gave case studies.

Romeo says it has probably been the most influential of the many pieces of practice guidance produced during her tenure.

Not only has it been adopted in several areas but it is also referenced in the Care Quality Commission’s new framework for assessing the quality of local authorities’ delivery of their Care Act functions, she says.

‘Social work as we know it’

“It’s social work as we know it – deep listening, getting alongside people, choice and control, supporting people to have input into the lives they want to lead, protecting human rights, inclusion and taking a holistic systemic approach.

“It’s been a big move away from a commodified, assessment, care and support planning, reviewing approach. I think we’ve been able to shift that story.”

This view, and Romeo’s part in it, is endorsed by the Adult Principal Social Worker Network, who said she had “transformed social work with adults over the past ten years”, by championing “a return to relationship-based, strengths-based and rights-based social work”.

However, while Romeo’s commitment to strengths-based practice is in no doubt, achieving it against a backdrop of rising demand and constrained finances has been challenging.

Social workers ‘expected to be box-tickers’, peers told

Following an inquiry into adult social care in 2022, a House of Lords committee said it was told by many witnesses about the perceived disparities between the act’s ambitions and practice on the ground.

People were expected to adapt to “the narrow range of services that are on offer”, with disabled and older people not seen as experts in their lives.

Many witnesses praised some social workers for supporting a vision of adult social care as enabling equal lives, but they said practitioners were “met with a system that requires them to become ‘checklist completers and box-tickers’”.

Credit: Ralf Geithe / Adobe Stock

Romeo acknowledges the “demand, need, resources, the challenging context within which people are working across health, social care, local government”.

‘This is not about care management anymore’

“But I do think that when I’ve been out to visit teams, that shift to strengths-based conversations, looking to how people can be better connected to community resources, how people can be involved in conversations about who cares, what can be done [has been evident],” she adds.

“I think people who are there do feel better supported – that this is about social work and not about care management anymore.”

Lyn Romeo (second right), flanked by past, present and future chairs of the Adult PSW Network. Photo courtesy of the Adult PSW network.

Another way social work has become more central to social care is in the role of the adult PSW in local authorities.

Rise of the PSW

Romeo helped ensure an update to the Care Act statutory guidance in 2016 included expectations on councils to appoint an adult PSW with the “credibility, authority and capacity to provide effective leadership and challenge”.

The status of the role was underlined when the government introduced controversial legislation in 2020 enabling councils to stop applying some of their Care Act duties during the pandemic.

Guidance on the so-called Care Act easements stated that these should be implemented “with or on the recommendation of the principal social worker”.

Romeo herself was on extended leave at the time, caring for her mother in Australia.

She left the chief’s role in the hands of Fran Leddra – then a PSW – and Mark Harvey, who had previously been a principal social worker.

Fran Leddra, former interim chief social worker and now a consultant

“It was a really tough time during Covid and I want to acknowledge how well Fran and Mark did in covering through one of the most challenging times,” she says.

“They did a really great job.”

Promoting social work research

Also a source of pride for Romeo is the work she has done to raise the profile of research in adult social work. This started with a project with the James Lind Alliance (JLA) to identify the top 10 priorities for adult social work research, which were published in 2018.

These included the impact of available funding and the Care Act on practice, adult social workers’ influence on people’s wellbeing, how far the Mental Capacity Act 2005 had been embedded and effective interventions with people who self-neglect.

A 2022 evaluation by King’s College London identified research carried out since the publication had addressed each of the questions, though Romeo said subsequently that there was “a considerable way to go to address these questions fully”.

She says there’s now a “much more developed architecture around social work” through the programme of research financed by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which is itself funded by the DHSC.

Funding for research projects

In 2019, following the JLA report, the NIHR launched its research for social care (RfSC) programme, which has subsequently invested £13m in different studies. This was succeeded last year by the research programme for social care (RPSC), which has a budget of £10m.

Also in 2019, the NIHR announced £135m over five years for 15 partnerships of universities, councils and NHS bodies to conduct research into key health and social care issues in their respective regions. One of these applied research collaboratives (ARCs), in Kent, Surrey and Sussex, focuses on social care and social work.

Photo: Feng Yu/Adobe Stock

As well as more research funding, there are now increased opportunities for social workers to get involved with evidence gathering.

Opportunities for social workers

In 2021, the NIHR launched its local authority academic fellowships (LAAF) programme, providing social workers and other practitioners with protected time to do master’s level-research, PhDs or post-doctoral studies while retaining their existing employment contracts and salaries.

In the same year, it also started the local authority short placement award for research collaboration (LA SPARC), providing practitioners with the opportunity to gain research experience within NIHR or academia through short-term placements.

Last year, an advisory group set up by Romeo, along with BASW, produced a charter for social work research in adult social care, to encourage employers and universities to promote these opportunities, and research awareness more generally, in the sector.

It was launched with the backing of NIHR, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and five local authorities, with one other council signing up subsequently.

Apprenticeship funding

One of Romeo’s last achievements in post was helping secure agreement for the DHSC to provide £12m to fund up to 400 additional social work apprenticeships within local authority adults’ services over the next year.

With one in ten social worker posts in local authorities lying vacant, despite the workforce growing from 2022-23, increasing recruitment in this way is vital in meeting the demand for practitioners.

Photo: Momius/Adobe Stock

Apprenticeships are the fastest-growing source of recruitment into social work, with 43% growth in the number starting courses from 2021-22 to 2022-23.

Romeo and Trowler’s tenures have also coincided with the launch, and subsequent growth, of government-funded fast-track schemes Frontline and Think Ahead, which train people to work as children’s and mental health social workers, respectively, in just over a year.

The pre-existing 14-month Step up to Social Work course has also expanded during this time, through increased DfE funding.

Romeo’s regret over mainstream social work courses

The Cinderella of the social work education ball has been traditional university courses, for which direct government resources, through student bursaries and placement grants, have been static for a decade.

Community Care has reported on the severe financial challenges this has posed for students.

Romeo says her greatest regret is not overseeing additional investment into these routes.

“I would have liked to have more investment in mainstream routes into social work,” she says.

“What are the incentives to bring people into social work these days when there are lots of different choices who want to make a difference and a public contribution? How do we make social work an attractive option for them?”

Social work ‘still associated with children and families’

She would also like to have seen a greater profile for adult and mental health social work in attracting people into the profession.

“A lot of people who think about it are only aware of children and families social work. When people go on their courses, they tend to think of that as their future.

“However, one of the wonderful things about social work is all the different options there are to apply social work skills and knowledge, including direct work with people of all ages, community work, policymaking, research and academia.”

She says there should be more placement offers for students in adult social care settings – “in local authorities, mental health trusts, specialist services like acquired brain injury services or working in drug and alcohol services, domestic abuse services”.

‘There’s a point you have to pass the baton on’

Lyn Romeo (credit: DHSC)

So why is now the right time to be stepping down?

“It’s a bittersweet thing to give up this role as I’ve absolutely loved it, Romeo says. “But there’s a point at which you have to pass the baton on and bring in other ideas and ways of approaching things.”

And what’s next for the now former chief?

“I will want to make a contribution to social work and social care. I’m going to have a bit of a break for a few months – go to Australia, visit family, have a holiday.

“Hopefully [retirement] will be a mixture of doing some nice things I enjoy doing and making a contribution.”

Champions of asylum-seeking children and anti-racist practice, respectively, were among social workers recognised in the New Year Honours.

Children’s practitioner Kirstie Baughan and adult safeguarding lead Shabnam Ahmed were garlanded in the annual list, alongside chief social worker for children and families Isabelle Trowler.

Within the wider sector, there was also recognition for the former chief executive of social work charity Frontline, Josh MacAlister, who recently led a government-commissioned review of children’s social care.

From social worker of the year gong to British Empire Medal

Baughan, who was crowned overall winner at the 2022 Social Worker of the Year Awards, was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to social work.

The recognition for the Central Bedfordshire Council practitioner reflects her work supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and refugees, not just in her social work career but as a volunteer for the charity Care4Calais.

Social worker Kirstie Baughan

She is currently studying for a PhD on the integration experiences of unaccompanied children leaving care, which she intends to inform practice guidance for fellow practitioners.

‘A huge shock’

The council said that, alongside her work with unaccompanied asylum seekers, Baughan has also volunteered locally to support older people, children in care and domestic abuse survivors.

Following her honour, she said: “It was a huge shock, especially as I’ve been lucky enough to know so many social workers who are deserving of this award and whose work deserves to be celebrated.

“So I want to say a massive thank you to my social work colleagues, and the families that I have been lucky enough to support here at Central Bedfordshire Council and in my voluntary roles, as they have all taught me so much.”

The council’s executive member for families, education and children, Hayley Whitaker, said: “We’re all extremely proud of Kirstie, and this well-deserved recognition is a testament to her hard work, and her impact on Central Bedfordshire residents.”

Also recognised in the honours list was Camden council’s lead for adult safeguarding, Shabnam Ahmed, who was awarded an MBE for services to social care.

Anti-racist supervision champion honoured

A registered social worker who has worked for the London borough for 25 years – the last six spent in management roles – she also delivers training through her company and YouTube channel.

This has a particular focus on anti-racist practice and supervision. Ahmed has developed a framework for antiracist supervision with the British Association of Social Workers’ Black and Ethnic Minority Professionals’ Symposium (BPS), of which she is a member.

Like Baughan, she is studying for a doctorate, which is focused on South Asian women’s experience of supervision in adult social work.

Shabnam Ahmed, lead practitioner for adult safeguarding, Camden council

On receiving an MBE, Ahmed said: “I have many dreams and aspirations, receiving an MBE was not one of them. Not even in my wildest dreams would I have imagined this.

“I am though very grateful, and I accept the award for all my committed colleagues who work passionately to drive positive change and connect with communities.”

Recognition for Trowler

Also on this year’s list was England’s chief social worker for children and families, Isabelle Trowler, who was awarded a CBE for services to children’s social care.

Isabelle Trowler, the chief social worker for children and families

During her decade in the post, Trowler has helped develop a string of Department for Education children’s social care policies, focused on raising the quality of social work and reforming practice systems.

These include knowledge and skills statements for practitioners, supervisors and leaders, the innovation programme, which funded projects testing new ways of working, and the establishment of a what works centre children’s social care (now Foundations).

She also led the development of the national assessment and accreditation system (NAAS) to provide a post-registration kitemark for  children’s practitioners and supervisors, though this was scrapped in 2022 due to the challenges and costs of delivery.

Her counterpart, Lyn Romeo, the chief social worker for adults, is stepping down from her post at the end of this month.

OBE for care review lead MacAlister 

But Trowler is continuing into a second decade as chief social worker, helping implement the DfE’s current children’s social care reform agenda, the architect of which, Josh MacAlister, also received an honour in the New Year list.

A teacher by background, MacAlister established the fast-track Frontline programme in 2013, to attract graduates with strong academic records to train to become child protection social workers, gaining government backing to fund the programme.

Josh MacAlister

Though Frontline faced criticism, including for perceived elitism in student recruitment and the superior financial support received by its trainees, it expanded significantly under MacAlister’s watch to train 450 people a year, up from 100 initially.

In 2021, he left the organisation on being appointed to lead the DfE-commissioned Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, which reported in 2022.

The DfE is now taking forward many of MacAlister’s key proposals including restrictions on the use of agency staff, the development of specialist child protection lead practitioners and the establishment of a five-year early career framework (ECF) for social workers post-qualification.

MacAlister is now executive chair of Foundations, the sector’s what works centre, whose chief executive, Jo Casebourne, said of his OBE: “This prestigious honour is a resounding acknowledgement of his unwavering dedication to bringing about positive change for the most vulnerable children and families.

“We look forward to witnessing the continued positive impact of his endeavours and the inspiration he provides to us all.”

Honours for directors past and present

Norfolk council’s director of children’s services, Sara Tough, who guided the authority from a requires improvement rating from Ofsted in 2017 to good in 2022, was awarded an OBE for services to education and children’s social care.

Her former adults’ services counterpart at the county council, James Bullion, a previous president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, received a CBE for services to social care.

He is now chief inspector of adult social care and integrated care at the Care Quality Commission, in which capacity he is overseeing the rollout of the new system of performance assessments of English councils.

‘Humbling’ award

“It was really humbling to be included in the New Year Honours list for services to social care,” Bullion said. “Whilst the honours focus on one person, of course it is the really the team that make the difference, and I really want to acknowledge the collective work of others that underpins all that I do.”

His CQC colleague, Alison Murray, was awarded an MBE. The regulator’s deputy director of adult social care said she was “honoured”, adding: “I’ve been extremely privileged to work with wonderful colleagues who are absolutely committed to making sure that people receive the best possible care.

“I feel this honour is something that reflects on each and every one of them and welcome the opportunity to raise the profile of adult social care.”

Other social workers honoured

Barnsley’s former DCS, Melanie John-Ross, who is now retired, picked up an MBE, with the same award going to fellow registered social worker Christine Futter, who stepped down last year as chief operating officer at Norfolk & Suffolk Care Support.

There was also an MBE for Helen Leadbitter, a social worker by background, for services to young carers. Leadbitter, who is is director of the Young Carers Initiative and was previously a manager at charity the Children’s Society, said she was “humbled and proud”.

“It is a privilege to have met so many young carers over so many years and that they have shared their stories to support and advocate on behalf other young carers. They, the young carers, are the experts and we need to continue to listen to them.”

‘Believe in yourself’

An MBE was also awarded to social care consultant, and expert by experience, Jak Savage. Her recent work includes helping develop guidance for councils, from chief social worker Lyn Romeo and the Adult Principal Social Worker Network, on carrying out proportionate assessments under the Care Act.

Commenting on her honour on LinkedIn, Savage said: “My message to all children and young people coming out of the care system, as I did all those years ago, or adults who suddenly find themselves ill with disability, like I experienced eight years ago, is to believe in yourself and never let what you have lived through solely define you. No matter who is not by your side, just count those that are as those that matter.”

Honours also went to:

• Jacqueline Hendra, a social care assessor at Devon council, who received a British Empire Medal for services to people with disabilities.
• Colin Angel, former policy, practice and innovation director at the Homecare Association (MBE).
• Kathy Roberts, chief executive, Association of Mental Health Providers (MBE).
• Daniel Croft, chief executive of independent fostering agency Children Always First Ltd and also of social care provider Key Assets Europe (MBE).
• Pamela and Peter Frickleton (MBE), foster carers with Plymouth council (MBEs).
• Lydia Obat, a foster carer from Manchester and founder of Gapolunya Foundation, a charity that supports children in her native Nigeria (MBE).
• June Nicol-Dundas, a foster care with the IFA Fostering London (MBE).