Amazing Oxfordshire social worker receives national recognition

An ‘amazing’ Oxfordshire County Council social worker has received recognition as part of a campaign by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). 

Amy Snell, who lives in Wallingford and works for the council’s children’s services team, was put forward for BASW’s Amazing Social Workers initiative by an anonymous person who experienced her dedication in making a positive difference to young people’s lives.

Their testimonial gave extensive praise to Amy, including:

“Amy embodies what it means to be a social worker. She is fearless and compassionate in advocating for human rights, protecting adults and children, and supporting her colleagues. Amy shares her expertise generously with colleagues, newer members of staff and now after working for several years supporting children and families, she continues to promote and protect the rights of adults she comes into contact with through her work.”

Responding to the praise, Amy said: “This is so unexpected, I didn’t put myself forward for recognition and because the person who nominated me has done so without revealing their name, it’s both a pleasant surprise and a bit of a mystery!

“My passion is making a difference to children and their families, not making headlines, just quietly taking pride when young people overcome challenges.

“However, if I can showcase the vital role of social workers through this achievement and encourage more people to join the profession, I’m delighted to be one of the faces of BASW’s campaign.”

Amy studied at Oxford Brookes university, qualifying as a social worker in 2019 and has worked for Oxfordshire County Council ever since.

Her current role in the multi-agency safeguarding hub involves providing early help to families, with a commitment, where possible, to resolve problems so that parents and children remain together.

Amy’s intervention is needed for a variety of different challenges, including young people experiencing mental wellbeing issues, drug and alcohol abuse, bullying and, in some cases, exploitation by gangs.

It’s very much a team effort. Amy liaises with partner organisations and volunteers such as the police, schools, health services, foster carers, adopters and the families themselves.

Amy said: “The job of social workers can be misunderstood, sometimes because we’re misrepresented in television dramas and soaps. It’s therefore daunting for families when they come in contact with us, often for the first time, and part of my role is to reassure.

“Although we have fantastic foster carers who can provide loving environments for vulnerable children it’s about trying to support families before that level of extra care is needed.

“I speak to parents whose son or daughter may have severe mental or physical health problems and it’s important they feel heard about their situation as we work together in search of solutions.

“I take on over 20 cases most weeks. The vast majority will have positive outcomes for families. That’s hugely rewarding for me, knowing I’ve played my part in a young person’s life, helping them conquer adversity, setting them up for what I hope will be a happy and fulfilling future. It’s what gets me out of bed each morning!”

Councillor Sean Gaul, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services, said: “Amy, like so many of our social workers, is a shining example of compassion, dedication and professionalism.

“Our commitment to make a difference to the lives of every young person in Oxfordshire means her profession, quite rightly, deserves maximum recognition. Amy goes above and beyond on a regular basis because she wants to help children and families overcome adversity, giving them the very best chance to succeed in reaching goals and realising their potential. Well done Amy, we’re proud of you.”

BASW will feature all the recognised social workers on its website and social media channels throughout March.

Lewis Roberts, BASW Vice-Chair, said: “We’re proud to run our Amazing Social Workers campaign for its sixth consecutive year. It is a wonderful way for our profession to celebrate inspiring social work practice and pay tribute to the many individual and collective successes that deserve to be noticed.

“Across our communities, social workers go above and beyond to make a positive difference to the lives of adults, children and families they support.

“Congratulations to everyone who has been recognised this year and thank you for all you do every day.”

Further information about becoming a children’s social worker is available by emailing careers@oxfordshire.gov.uk or by visiting Oxfordshire County Council’s website

Notes

• The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) is the independent professional association for social work in the UK, with just under 21,000 members. Its mission is to act for social workers, the profession and for a better society.
• The Amazing Social Workers campaign will form part of BASW’s celebrations for World Social Work Day on Tuesday 17 March, an international event raising awareness and visibility of social work. This year’s theme is ‘Co-building Hope and Harmony: A Harambee Call to Unite a Divided Society.’
• More information about the Amazing Social Workers campaign can be found on BASW’s website.

Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.