Social workers gathered in Oldham at an event to thank them for all of the valuable work they do to protect vulnerable children and adults.

World Social Work Day, which was on Tuesday (15 March), is a celebration that aims to highlight the achievements of social work, raise the visibility of social services for the future of societies, and to defend social justice and human rights.

Social work can be both a challenging and rewarding job, so at a breakfast event in the Oldham Civic Centre, some of those attending reflected on their careers and why they got into the profession.

James Mark-Bell is a social worker for Oldham Council and said of his experience in the role: “As a social worker I make sure to do the best for the most vulnerable in our community.

“I protect people in a crisis setting meaning I’m often involved in the most difficult days of people’s lives. I’m there to make the best outcome possible. It’s a nice job but it’s hard, you have to commit yourself to it.”

Jayne Ratcliffe Deputy Managing Director of Community Health and Social Care Services joined Oldham Council 22 years ago as a student social worker. She said: “Oldham’s been good to me, I live and work in the borough. I think the fact I’ve been here 22 years proves that Oldham is an absolutely brilliant place to work.

“I’m passionate about supporting staff to develop and succession planning. As a service, we always aim to put our staff at the centre of all we do.”

Mark Warren Director of Adult Social Care thanked all the Social Workers for the hard work and dedication they demonstrate, supporting the most vulnerable Oldham residents every day.

Deputy Chief Executive Sayyed Osman, who made a heart-warming speech to thank those in attendance, said: “My role is all about people and that’s what our social workers focus on.

“Social work makes a huge difference to people’s lives and it takes courage, professionalism, passion and commitment. I can’t thank our committed social workers enough for all that they do.”

The Leader of Oldham Council Arooj Shah attended the event and said: “It was really important for me to be here this morning as I wanted to personally thank everyone for their hard work, particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The fact we have such strong, committed dedicated teams with a wealth of experience means we can continue to put people first – which is what our council is all about.”

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