The Department for Child Protection (DCP) marked World Social Work Day last week (15 March) by thanking social workers throughout the State and releasing a series of videos celebrating their work.
Executive Director, Service Delivery and Practice of DCP, Sue Macdonald thanked the more than 700 DCP Public Service staff for their tireless commitment to protecting and supporting children and young people.
Ms Macdonald said World Social Work Day highlighted and celebrated the significant contributions of the social work profession, with a theme this year of Co-building a new eco/social world: Leaving no-one behind.
“Our social workers’ commitment to achieving good outcomes for children, young people, families and carers is to be admired,” she said.
“They consistently go above and beyond in this pursuit and we really want to thank them and pay tribute to the vital role they play in areas such as prevention, early intervention, case management and promotion.”
Senior Social Worker for DCP, Richard Coldwell, said that while the demands of the job could be challenging, it was the positive and long-term outcomes achieved for families and children that all social workers strived for.
“Seeing a child have a friend for the first time, play sport, have their own bedroom, go to dental appointments, access healthy food, attend school regularly or live with a safe and consistent carer is incredibly rewarding,’’ Mr Coldwell said.
“We also remember the success stories of children being reunified with their biological parents and even years down the track parents provide us with positive updates about how the children are going and their individual achievements,” he said.
To mark World Social Work Day, DCP created four videos of social workers Liam Tang, Natasha Champion, Nicola Angelaras and Humaira Yousaf, which can be accessed on YouTube at this PS News link.
