Improving and Safeguarding Social Wellbeing, the Social Work Strategy for Northern Ireland

Improving and Safeguarding Social Wellbeing, The Social Work Strategy for Northern Ireland, begins the process of moving to Stage Two Implementation.

Message of the Week 26.05.16

In introducing the Social Work Strategy in April 2012, Sean Holland, the Chief Social Services Officer said: “This Strategy aims to support the profession to not only survive, but to thrive in the coming years and to continue to be at the forefront of addressing new and emerging issues in our society”

Four years on we have a lot to be proud of. In his forward to the plan for Stage two of the Implementation, Sean Holland reflects: “We have strengthened practice, led innovation, improved services and embraced social media. There is a real sense of a strong and vibrant social work community in Northern Ireland and we have enthusiastically grasped the opportunities the Strategy has provided us to strengthen supports for social workers and to improve services. We have begun to put pride back in to the profession.”

It is however a 10 year plan and it will take 10 years to effect the real change that is needed to ensure we have an effective social work service that puts the individual at the centre of all we do.

Following a Stakeholder event in July, the stage two plan which will cover the next 5 years, will be widely shared. The plan has been developed following extensive feedback on what has worked well and what still needs to be done.

It will focus on making co-production and improvement an integral part of every social worker’s practice. It will continue to support social workers to do what you do every day which is to help improve lives and social wellbeing. It will build the capacity and capability of social workers to improve practice and services in partnership with those who use them and it will scale up initiatives that are proven to make a difference.

Still lots to do, but there is a firm foundation to build on !

This is my last Message of the Week. I am proud and feel privileged to have been so closely involved in supporting the implementation of a Strategy that provides a real mandate for strengthening the effectiveness of social work in Improving and Safeguarding Social Wellbeing in Northern Ireland and I am very confident that the Stage two Implementation plan will continue to: strengthen the capacity of the workforce; improve social work services and build confidence and trust in the profession.