The Northern Ireland Social Care Council (the Social Care Council) are launching a month of appreciation for Northern Ireland’s 6,600 social workers highlighting the important roles they play in our lives.
Most people do not understand what social workers do. This can be down to having not had a social worker involved in their life or only being exposed to stereotypes of social workers portrayed in the media.
So, what’s the difference that social workers make in the community and why should we be thankful for them? To help answer that question the Social Care Council is running a digital campaign celebrating the social workers and the role they play as agents of change and transformation in our community.
Social Care Council Chief Executive, Patricia Higgins said: “Social workers are agents for community change. They are advocates for and protect the most vulnerable in our society. They are diverse and inclusive both as a workforce, and in terms of the variety of roles they can be found in across the health, justice, education and community and voluntary sectors. They are also a regulated profession, which means they have professional standards and continue their learning journey throughout their careers.
She added: “Social work is not easy. Those who answer this call are committed to ensuring those who need support in our communities are heard. It is important to celebrate and thank our amazing social workers – so on behalf of the Council – thank you for all that you do and we would ask others to say thank you too.”
Help share our stories about social workers by tagging #SocialWorkStories.
Stay tuned!
The campaign will also mark World Social Work Day which is celebrated each year around the world to recognise the important work of social workers. This year this is taking place on 19 March 2024, with the theme ‘Buen Vivir: Shared Future for Transformative Change’. As part of this we will be publishing a series of stories about social workers who have travelled different professional journeys.
Looking for a career as a social worker?
To train to be a social worker in Northern Ireland you need to complete the Honours Degree in Social Work. Check out our Interested in becoming a social worker? page for more information.