My main goal working in social care has just been to make life a little bit easier for children and young people who, like me, grew up facing challenges because of their circumstances.
I come from a mixed heritage background and was raised by my single mum on a council estate in Huddersfield. Various factors and difficult experiences in my life meant I had to grow up quickly. This gave me the drive to work hard and achieve my goal of becoming a social worker.
I realised I wanted to help children and young people see that there are other options and that they don't have to be defined by their circumstances. I'm very proud of where I started out in life as it has shaped me into the person I am today and helps me relate to others in my line of work.
Social work felt like the right path. I did some work in adult mental health but my heart was always with children and young people and I saw the impact early intervention could have. Cycles can be broken and all children and young people deserve to see their potential.
I worked in children's social care in Leeds for seven years before moving to child and adolescent mental health services, wanting to further my learning, knowledge and experience in mental health and therapeutic work. There I saw first-hand the barriers that can exist between social workers and mental health professionals. As a positive and solution-focused person, I found this hard. My life motto is: “So what are we going to do about it?”
My proudest achievement is setting up the Emotional Wellbeing Team in Wakefield. This service provides therapeutic, trauma-informed support for children and young people in care, while also bridging the gap between social care and mental health services.
Our team is the single point of access for children and young people in need of emotional wellbeing or mental health support, where they can move between services as needed without falling through the cracks. We have helped so many children and young people who might otherwise have been lost in the system.
We also introduced the Carer Wellbeing Clinic, giving foster carers, kinship carers and parents a safe, confidential space to reflect on their own mental health and emotional wellbeing. This recognises that caregivers are human and have their own life challenges which can be overwhelming.
Building this team and setting up the processes during the Covid-19 pandemic wasn't easy. While time stood still for many people, it didn't stop us. Our work was especially important in this time because of the heightened anxiety everyone was feeling. We really had to work hard to put everything in place and get the ball rolling.
Winning an award for my work was surreal and emotional. I never expected it but it was a lovely moment.
My mum came with me to the ceremony. There was a point where we were walking from the hotel to the venue and I looked at her and realised what a full circle moment it was. Without her, I don't know if I would have ever been in this position but seeing the excitement in her face made me realise that I'm achieving everything I set out to do.
I truly believe this work isn't about recognition, it's about making a difference.
I want to continue to expand our work with care-experienced young people aged 18 to 25 and strengthen partnership working to bridge the gap between children's and adult services. This is an area I'm passionate about improving as many of these young people need support with their emotional and mental health needs. There's so much still to do but I'm excited for the future.
For anyone in children's social care thinking about entering the Children & Young People Now Awards – do it. Social work doesn't always get the best press. We work in demanding and challenging situations where we must think on our feet but ultimately we are trying to positively change lives. Sometimes we need that reminder. Plus it's an amazing night and I met some incredible and inspirational people. http://www.wakefield.gov.uk
