SOCIAL WORK ASSISTANT SHORTLISTED FOR NATIONAL AWARD

Tuesday, 09 March 2010 11:59

Ann, who was nominated by a service user, joined Argyll and Bute Council 21 years ago as a domestic in an elderly care home.

She worked her way upwards from there, becoming a care officer and then a senior care officer before taking up her current role of Social Work Assistant.

She is now in her fourth and final year of an Open University BA (Hons) degree in Social Work, sponsored by the Council, after which she will be a fully-qualified Social Worker.

Part of the requirements of the degree is that students carry out two 6-month placements – one within their own Council area and one outwith it.

Ann did her first placement at Ardfenaig residential care home in Ardrishaig last year. She is now just a couple of weeks into a Group Work and Family Support placement with West Dunbartonshire Council in Clydebank.

The move means only getting home at weekends to see her husband and two teenage children.

“I would never have been able to get this far without the support not just of my family but also of my friends and colleagues,” Ann said.

“I was surprised and delighted to learn I had been nominated for this award, and even more surprised to hear I’d been shortlisted for it. But this is not just about me, but about everyone who has been so incredibly supportive along the way.

“There have definitely been times when I doubted whether I’d complete the degree. I’m a people person rather than an academic, and I struggled to get into the swing of it at the start.

“But I’m totally committed to achieving my goal of becoming a qualified Social Worker. I’m now on the final stretch, and I’m really looking forward to getting home and making a positive difference to the lives of vulnerable people in the Oban area.”

Ann will be up against five other nominees on the BASW Student of the Year shortlist, drawn from nominations made across Scotland.

Argyll and Bute Council’s spokesperson for Social Services, Councillor Donald McIntosh, said the recognition was well-deserved.

“This is a fantastic achievement, and one of which Ann should be incredibly proud,” he said.

“Although not yet a qualified Social Worker, Ann has had a significant impact on Social Services in Argyll and Bute over many years.

“With her infectiously positive attitude to her work, Ann is admired and respected by colleagues and service users alike. She has also initiated several innovative developments which prove her dedication and commitment to the people for whom she cares.

“I congratulate her on the recognition she is now receiving at a national level. But we’ll all be delighted to welcome her back to Argyll and Bute when her placement is over.”