Social workers and students came together to celebrate World Social Work Day

Social work students from the University’s School of Human and Health Sciences joined in with social workers around the world to celebrate the concept ‘Ubuntu: I am because we are’ for World Social Work Day 2021 at an event held in collaboration with the Yorkshire Urban Rural Teaching Partnership

SOLIDARITY and global connectedness shone through at an event hosted by the University of Huddersfield for professional social workers and students held in collaboration with the Yorkshire Urban Rural Teaching Partnership. 

Each year social workers across the world stand together to mark World Social Work Day and focus on a ‘Global Social Work Agenda’. Despite the global pandemic, this year was no exception as the University of Huddersfield joined institutions from around the globe in celebrating ‘Ubuntu: I am because we are’, a concept and philosophy that aligns with the ethics of social work itself.

“Ubuntu is a powerful message on the need for solidarity at all levels: within communities, societies and globally. It is a message that all people are interconnected and that our future is dependent on recognising all people’s involvement in co-building a sustainable, fair and socially just future.”

The International Federation of Social Workers

Over 200 delegates from across the Teaching Partnership attended the virtual event which also focused on wellbeing and resilience and is the only annual event of its type in the area.

Helping in the delivery of the event from the University of Huddersfield were Practice Education Module Leader Leeanne Olivant and Senior Lecturer in Social Work Dr Tom Considine, both from the School of Human and Health Sciences, who were part of a team of organisers stretching from across the region’s Teaching Partnership.

The event commenced with a keynote speech on ‘Practice Educator Wellbeing’ by Kate Collier from Selfcare Psychology. Kate is the co-author of ‘52 Acts of Self Care for Social Workers’ and in early 2020 developed this idea further into the online ‘Covid-19 Pandemic Frontline Keyworker Self Care Acts’ as a free resource to support practitioners.

Kate has a special interest in and passion for early intervention in wellbeing through education for social care and health professionals and during her talk shared her expertise on self-care for Practice Educators and supporting student’s in placement.

“On a day celebrating global connectedness it was great to see social workers and students from across the region’s organisations come together to learn and reflect. It was clear throughout the event how much we need each other in supporting our self-care, resilience and celebrating each other’s achievements.”

Leeanne Olivant, Practice Education Module Leader

Social resilience and social work practice were the focus of the event’s second talk delivered by the University’s Dr Considine. He discussed how resilience has emerged as the modern solution to the current challenges affecting the world and referred to his research with student social work practitioners and practice educators that promotes a social model of resilience.

This year saw the event celebrate the first ‘Practice Educator of the Year Awards’.  This was a particularly poignant moment for the University and the Kirklees Local Authority as the inaugural award was dedicated to Mr Martin Hunt who had worked within Kirklees for many years championing students on placement and Practice Educators but who had sadly passed away last year.

The University’s Leeanne Olivant said it was fitting that colleagues across the Teaching Partnership were able to pause and think of Martin as part of the awards.

“On a day celebrating global connectedness,” she said, “it was great to see social workers and students from across the region’s organisations come together to learn and reflect. It was clear throughout the event how much we need each other in supporting our self-care, resilience and celebrating each other’s achievements.

“The day also marked the first ‘Practice Educator of the Year Awards’ across the Teaching Partnership, with plenty of students nominating their Practice Educators for this well-deserved award. The event was a huge success with feedback showing the delegates found it a really interesting and thought-provoking event,” she added.