Finalists named for NI Social Work Awards 2015
By News Northern Ireland, ,

A total of 90 social work teams and individuals from across Northern Ireland have been nominated for the 2015 Social Work Awards.  

Judging is now complete and the winners will be announced at a lunchtime event in Belfast City Hall on 5 March 2015.
 
The Social Work Awards are a Health & Social Care Board initiative to promote and celebrate excellence in social work.  This year there are eight award categories plus the prestigious title of Overall Winner.  

The entries were of a very high calibre and demonstrated the commitment of social work individuals and teams across Northern Ireland.  The judges have chosen 24 finalists who will be joined by their guests at the 2015 Award ceremony.  They have demonstrated what is excellent about their social work practice and the positive impact this had on individuals, groups and communities.

Social Work Awards 2014-15 Finalists

Award 1 Children’s Services Team

  •     Specialist Fostering Team – Northern Health & Social Care Trust
  •     Southern Trust 16+ Team – Southern Health & Social Care Trust
  •     Sharing the Care Team – Northern Health & Social Care Trust

Award 2 Adult Services Team

  •     Physical Health and Disability: Incorporating Person-Centered Practice –  Northern Health & Social Care Trust
  •     Improving the Physical Environment – Dementia Care Edenderry Day Centre – Southern Health & Social Care Trust
  •     Dialectical Behaviour Therapy – South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust

Award 3 Partnership

  •     Dementia Friendly Communities Mental Health Services for Older People – Northern Health & Social Care Trust (Mental Health & Older People), Alzheimer’s Society, Coleraine Borough Council and Public Health Agency
  •     Step Down from Hospital Project – NI Children’s Hospice and Northern Health & Social Care Trust Children’s Disability Team
  •     Autism Service Trans-generational Team – Southern Health & Social Care Trust

Award 4 Learning and Development

  •     Social Services Training and Development Team – South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust
  •     Social Services Training and Development Team – Western Health & Social Care Trust
  •     Learning and Development for International Social Work NI – Queens University of Belfast

Award 5 Children’s Services Individual

  •     Geraldine O’Hagan – Belfast Health & Social Care Trust
  •     Sharon Smyth – Northern Health & Social Care Trust
  •     Steve Mack – Southern Health & Social Care Trust

Award 6 Adult Services Individual

  •     Margaret Wylie – Probation Board for NI
  •     Sarah Browne – South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust
  •     Fergal O’Brien – Southern Health & Social Care Trust

Award 7 Newly Qualified Social Worker

  •     Marie Claire Quinn – Belfast Health & Social Care Trust
  •     Leah Curlett – Northern Health & Social Care Trust
  •     Shama Lamsiah – Northern Health & Social Care Trust

Award 8 NIASW Lifetime Achievement Award

  •     Ed Sipler – South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust
  •     Jim Gray – Belfast Health & Social Care Trust
  •     John Devaney – Queens University of Belfast