Celebrating Lincolnshire’s mental health social workers

By developing individuals, promoting their strengths, and maximising their independence, social workers can really make a difference to the lives of people, their families and communities. Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) employs over 150 mental health social workers in a wide range of roles and teams across the county.

This year’s theme for World Social Work Day is ‘Respecting diversity through joint social action’. It recognises that change happens locally through diverse communities, encouraging powerful actions and acting as a catalyst for positive social transformation.

Dan Thompson, a Social Work Apprentice at LPFT, has already seen the power of social work in action. He said: “Throughout my apprenticeship, I have been proud to support some of the most vulnerable members of the community and empower them to change their own lives.

“I’ve seen that people from all backgrounds can feel valued and included. I also set up an LGBTQ+ virtual group to help people share their experiences and socialise.

“If you want to help people from all backgrounds, there is no better profession to pursue than social work and there’s no better place to train and work than LPFT. LPFT has been incredibly supportive of me both professionally and personally.”

Jennifer Perrin, Head of Social Care at LPFT, said:

“World Social Work Day is really special and enables us to celebrate the phenomenal contribution social workers bring to our Trust, service users, carers and families. It’s the unique blend of skills, approaches, expertise and attitudes of our social workers that truly transforms lives.

“Social work is integral in supporting the Trust’s purpose, vision, and values, enabling people to live well their communities.”

Angela Sheerin, Social Work Strategic Professional Lead at LPFT, believes that people like Dan represent an exciting future of social work.

“Social work at LPFT is a truly wonderful profession, and we’d love to hear from anyone inspired by Dan’s story or social work in general,” said Angela.

There are a variety of routes to qualifying as a mental health social worker with LPFT, including social worker apprenticeships or via the Think Ahead programme.

To find out more, visit: www.lpft.nhs.uk/social-work