Hannah Kingsford Wins Silver Award at Social Worker of the Year Awards for Practitioner-led Research
Hannah Kingsford, a passionate and innovative social worker, has been honoured with the Silver Award in Practitioner-led Research at the prestigious Social Worker of the Year Awards. Hannah is a research and training fellow with the Kent Research Partnership and social worker with Kent County Council. Hannah’s award recognises social workers who have made significant strides in practitioner-led research, helping to shape a research culture within social care settings and contribute directly to impactful practice improvements.
Hannah’s award-winning research focuses on the critical issue of social worker burnout, a problem facing many in the field due to the demanding nature of the profession. Her work is part of a fellowship with the Kent Research Partnership, where she is exploring the causes and preventative strategies around burnout, with the aim of developing evidence-based solutions to support the social care workforce. As part of her fellowship, based at the Centre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent, Hannah has also taken on a leadership role as chair of the Community of Practice on Supporting, Enhancing, and Diversifying the Social Care Workforce, helping to bridge the gap between research and frontline practice.
Hannah joined Kent County Council in 2019, initially working in the Adult Mental Health Team before moving to the Lifespan Pathway 26+ Team, where she supports adults with learning disabilities and their carers. Her path to social work is a testament to her dedication: after completing an MSc in Clinical Psychology and Mental Health at the University of Sussex, she qualified as a social worker through the Think Ahead mental health social work scheme. This foundation in both practice and psychology has empowered her to bridge the gap between frontline care and meaningful research.
“Hannah’s enthusiasm and dedication to social care research is contagious,” said Professor Ann-Marie Towers, academic lead for the Kent Research Partnership. “Her work on social worker burnout addresses a serious and growing issue. Hannah doesn’t just describe the problem—she’s working on actionable solutions. She’s inspiring others to consider how they, too, can create real change through social care through research.”
The Practitioner-led Research Award celebrates individuals or teams conducting impactful research while actively working in social care. In addition to the immediate findings of her study, Hannah’s work has ignited interest in research within Kent County Council, encouraging colleagues to pursue their own research projects. Through her guidance and role-modelling, Hannah has inspired colleagues to pursue their own projects, expanding the research culture within the council.
Dr Rasa Mikelyte, Hannah’s supervisor in the Kent Research Partnership, praised her involvement, noting, “Hannah is an outstanding example of what a practitioner-researcher can achieve. Her passion has been infectious. Since she started sharing her experiences and progress, significantly more social workers have reached out to the Kent Research Partnership about conducting research, often citing Hannah’s influence.”
Vickie Minkiewicz, Principal Social Worker at Kent County Council, expressed her pride in Hannah’s achievement, saying, “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.”
The Silver Award reflects Hannah’s skill, dedication, and the pioneering spirit she brings to her role as both a social worker and researcher. As she progresses in her fellowship, her research is expected to contribute highly important insights into supporting the social work workforce.
When asked about the award and the ceremony, Hannah has said: “Being shortlisted for the award was unexpected, and I was up against some very strong contenders. Therefore winning a silver award was a huge surprise! I am incredibly grateful for the support from Kent Research Partnership, Centre for Health Services Studies and Kent County Council who have encouraged me and helped me get this far. The overall aim of my research is to support the wonderful social work workforce and I am honoured that my efforts for this were recognised with this award, and I am happy that the importance of workforce health is also being recognised, as well as the valuable contributions that practitioner-led research lend to the social work profession and the communities we support”