The Kent Research Partnership is delighted to announce that our very own Hannah Kingsford, a dedicated social worker and researcher, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Social Worker of the Year Awards 2024. Hannah has been named as a finalist in the Practitioner-Led Research Award category.
Hannah’s recognition as a finalist is a testament to her exceptional commitment to advancing social care through practitioner-led research. Her research on social worker burnout has already received attention from national and international social work conferences, and we are pleased that Social Worker Awards have also recognised Hannah’s excellence. The winner will be announced at a special event this November in London.
Finalists for the Social Worker of the Year Awards were selected by panels of independent judges, including previous award winners, social workers, industry leaders, and individuals with lived experience of social work. This year’s competition saw hundreds of entries, underscoring the passion and dedication within the social work community.
“This year we received hundreds of entries which goes to show how passionate organisations and individuals are to shine a light on the inspirational achievements of an often-overlooked profession. We would like to thank all those who took the time to nominate a friend, colleague, or team for an award this year. To our finalists, we’d like to say congratulations! Being nominated for a national award, whilst supporting others during very challenging times in a year of big changes, is a remarkable achievement of which you should be very proud.”
Peter Hay CBE, Chair of the Social Work Awards
“Hannah’s achievements and ‘can do’ attitude are already inspiring others to consider how they might develop their careers through practice-led research. Hannah is a role model – using her own success to inspire others and then supporting them to achieve their goals through mentorship. We need more Hannahs in social care!”
Prof Ann-Marie Towers, co-lead of the Kent Research Partnership
“Hannah has demonstrated great determination, commitment, curiosity and ambition to design and apply for her Research Fellowship while still working as a Social Worker. Her project will provide essential evidence to identify how to better support staff working under considerable pressure, helping to ensure that resources are targeted to where they might be most effective.”
Vickie Minkiewicz, Principal Social Worker, Kent County Council
This year, the Social Worker of the Year Awards feature 18 categories across both children’s and adult services, including two new categories for 2024: the Technology Enabled Lives and Practice Award, and the Practitioner-Led Research Award.
For more information about the awards, please visit www.socialworkawards.com.