Every year, on the third Tuesday of March, we pause to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contributions of social workers.
World Social Worker Day is not just a day of appreciation; it’s a moment to reflect on the power of compassion, resilience, and the unwavering commitment of those who dedicate their lives to improving the well-being of individuals and communities.
Debbie is a senior social worker in the WBAS Family Finding Team, we caught up to find out how the role is something that always felt like the natural thing to do, some of the biggest changes she experienced when moving from Liverpool to South Wales, and how despite working in a busy team she’s always got a bit of time for dressing up.
How did you become a family finder with WBAS Deb?
“From when I was aged 16 I worked with adults with learning difficulties and just thought to myself; why don’t I take this further with a wider range of people.
“It was that long ago that I qualified that it was the Social Work Diploma in my day – I’ve actually been qualified now for 20 years!
“I then did various child protection roles in Liverpool before I moved to South Wales for personal reasons and started with Bridgend Fostering Team before eventually moving over to adoption with WBAS.
“I was actually the Adoption Champion in Fostering, I liaised with the adoption teams and always had a passion for securing permanent, loving, stable homes for children so moving to WBAS felt like a natural progression.”
Did you experience any major differences between social work in England and Wales?
“There were certainly some cultural differences and of course there are the legislative differences between the countries. In Wales we have the Adoption Agencies (Wales) Regulations 2005 which sets out our requirements in different areas such as carrying out police checks, providing counselling and preparation for adoption.
“All the countries in the UK are however required to follow the framework of the Adoption and Children Act 2002.
“Despite some of these differences we all have the same overall objective though – securing the best possible future and outcomes for vulnerable children!”
Tell us a little bit about your current role in the Family Finding Team in WBAS
“I’m a senior family finder in the team and my role is slightly different in that I’m part of the support package for the child working closely with the recruitment and assessment and adoption support teams.
“I also chair a lot of Matching meetings and Q and A Matching paper work. I also work with the Understanding the Child (UTC) team. UTC work involves bringing together all the people that know the child best, this can include social workers, foster carers, health visitors etc.
“The work can provide valuable insight into the child’s inner working model which help adopters think about whether they are the right parents for the child, and what might really help the child in the future.
“I also liaise with the 3 local authorities (Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea) and the fostering teams and carers. We have lots of meetings and get together to ensure everything is joined up and working well.
“Finally, I’m also a champion for Wales Early Permanence (WEP) which is when adopters are dually approved as a foster carer and adopter.
“WEP is the care planning option that provides a child with a secure base as early as possible, when weeks and months really do matter; it enables healthy brain development and attachment through safe, predictable relationships with sensitive adults, and minimises the distressing moves that cause further trauma.”
What can you tell us about the children you are currently working with in Family Finding?
“We are seeing an increasing amount of children coming into the system with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD. We’re also seeing a lot more children who’ve been affected by the consumption of drugs or alcohol during pregnancy.
“My message to adopters is there are uncertainties with having children whether biologically or through adoption. It’s about opening your heart and finding resilience – taking each day as it comes.
“The support we offer is massive and wide ranging so people should be empowered by that.”
On top of her busy family finding role Deb also always gets involved in WBAS events and activities with her typical scouse grit and passion. From running mascot races with our sports team partners, to climbing Pen y Fan for charity, Deb can always be depended on to get involved, despite occasionally having to dig deep with her fitness! And despite her proud Liverpuddian roots and firm nest in South Wales, her allegiances will also be with the men in green during rugby!
Da iawn Deb, happy social workers day!