North East Lincolnshire Council Children’s Services welcome TV presenter to share his experience of growing up in care as they bring services together to mark World Social Work Day

The international day, which took place on Tuesday, celebrated the work and achievements of social workers, care workers, specialist teams, support staff, education colleagues and all in North East Lincolnshire who support our vulnerable children and those who care for and work with them.

Ashley, who is care experienced himself, was invited by senior council officers to share his story and took questions from some members of the audience. The aim of the event was to encourage workers to think about their practice approach, reflect on what has been achieved and what there is still to do and to be able to share experiences of working within North East Lincolnshire.

He shared his poignant and personal story to a room of over 150 Council staff who work with families and young people.

Speaking after the event, Councillor Margaret Cracknell, Portfolio Holder for Children’s and Education said:

“Our social work teams do tremendously difficult work every day to ensure that families that need help, receive it. They go above and beyond in caring for children and young people across the borough and today is about celebrating the incredible work that they do.

“It does, of course, take more than just our social workers to support local children and families, and today is about recognising all of our staff in children’s services who go above and beyond to keep families together and to keep children on the right path.

“So for us, today is about all of the people working in our service and our wider community who provide support to children and their families – from the children’s social workers to the colleagues working in our family hubs and in our residential children’s homes. From our business support colleagues who triage cases and minute meetings, through to our incredible foster carers who provide full time care for our children.

“We have a group of wonderful people working in North East Lincolnshire and it is important that they feel valued and supported. The role they play in our community is vital and I hope in celebrating them today they feel proud of the work they do.”

Director of Children’s Services at North East Lincolnshire Council, Ann-Marie Matson, said:

“I’m grateful to Ashley for coming here today and sharing what is a very personal experience of care, and one that so many young people will have shared. Ashley is an inspirational speaker and really helped everyone there across the children’s workforce to reflect and think about how we can go further to improve the lives of our most vulnerable children

“Today we celebrated the essence of our work, coming together to represent the compassion, empathy and a relentless pursuit of achieving the very best for the children and young people that we serve. Social care is not just about providing services, it is about creating a sense of belonging and fostering resilience. It is about ensuring that every child and young person has the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life.

“It is a testament to the whole workforce in Children’s Services that we can look back on the last 12 months and reflect back on the difference that we have collectively made whilst looking forward to the next 12 months and consolidating our work to continue to improve.”

Social work is a hugely rewarding career, where you can make an impact on the lives of local people.

If you’re interested in building a new career in social work, visit: www.nelincs.gov.uk/working-in-childrens-services.