It is with great sadness that the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (the Social Care Council) is paying tribute to Mr Paul Martin, its former Chair, who has sadly passed away.
Paul was a giant in the field of social work and social care in Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom and beyond.
Paul had a long and distinguished career in social work and was a true leader in the profession, having a direct influence on the careers of many social workers, and social care practitioners, across Northern Ireland and further afield.
He qualified as a social worker in 1973, later joining the Ministry of Health and Social Services as a Social Services Inspector and from 1996-2000 served as Assistant Chief Social Services Inspector. Until 2009 Paul was the Chief Social Services Inspector/Officer and Advisor to the Minister for Health and Social Services responsible for social care and social policy development. His career took him outside of Northern Ireland, firstly to Bulgaria and then to Jordan in 2013 to take up an EU Resident Advisor role and then in 2017 he accepted the position of Honorary Consul for The Republic of Bulgaria in Northern Ireland.
He played a pivotal role in the establishment of the regulation of the social work and social care workforces in Northern Ireland as Chief Social Worker for the Department of Health, and has been an instrumental figure later helping to steer the Social Care Council as a leader in health and social care during Northern Ireland’s COVID response throughout the pandemic.
Declan McAllister, Interim Chief Executive, Social Care Council said:
“We cannot underscore enough how much Paul gave to his social work profession. We acknowledge and honour the difference he made to his colleagues in service, to all those across the health, education, justice and community and voluntary sectors, and for his commitment and leadership to the public throughout his five-decade career. He was wise. He was experienced. He was respected. He knew the social work and social care professions inside and out, and his commitment to these professions is one of his many legacies.”
Social Care Council Interim Chair, Gerard Guckian expressed his gratitude for Paul’s service.
“On behalf of the Social Care Council Board and staff we are devasted to hear of Paul’s passing, it is not just a great loss to us, it’s a great loss to social work and social care.
“Paul was always proud to be a social worker first and foremost. He epitomised everything that was good about the profession and lived its values every day. It’s hard to imagine an individual who has made a greater contribution to social work here, or who has had a greater impact on the Social Care Council.
“As Chief Social Worker and Advisor to the Health Minister he devised the legislation that brought the Social Care Council into being in the first place as regulator of the social work and social care workforce. Then he came full circle when he became Chair of the Social Care Council Board in 2018. He was more than just a great leader, but a friend to everyone here.
“Paul was a person of great integrity and someone with a massive heart, who was a pleasure to work to work alongside. He was a thoughtful and considerate man and will be deeply missed. We will continue our work in his memory but we remain very grateful for the time we had with him. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Paul’s family; our thoughts are with them at this time. ”
Paul Martin was appointed Social Care Council Chair in April 2018 and retired in early 2025.
May he rest in peace.