Anna O’Brien, Children’s Social Worker at Hull City Council

I wanted to become a social worker because I’ve always had a strong desire to help others, but also because I saw how my own family was affected when a relative had struggles with substance misuse. We needed what a lot of families need - some support from the right services – and having experienced this first-hand, it encouraged me to pursue a career in social work. 

 After completing sixth form I embarked on a social work degree. But it wasn’t until half way through my studies that I got to learn specifically about children’s social work and knew that this was what I wanted to do. So for my final year placement I worked within Hull City Council’s child protection team, where I’ve remained since qualifying with a First Class Honours degree in 2020.   

In essence, my job is to protect vulnerable children, making sure their voices are heard and that they are safe, well and seen. This can include children who are experiencing or who are at risk of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation or substance abuse.

This almost always involves working closely with families who are in desperate need of support. Every family is different, each with their own set of issues requiring varying levels of help, so there’s usually a lot of joint working involved with other agencies. One example is where I worked with an at-risk, expectant mother and even before the child was born, I was in touch with mental health services, housing support, health visitors and midwives. Although the mother still needed ongoing support after the baby was born, we were able to keep the family together as a result of our involvement.

The role is both varied and complex, which can be challenging at times, but it’s also hugely rewarding and I get a lot of support. What I enjoy most about my job is the relationships I get to build with the families I work with. Even if I work with them for only a short period of time, I’m always able to make a connection, providing advice, support and reassurance where needed. Making those connections and being there, even if just to lend a listening ear, can often make a huge difference in giving someone the courage and the confidence they need to make positive, long-lasting changes to their life.

Working in the midst of a global pandemic was all I ever knew during my first year. As the country went into its first lockdown, we had to find ways of making sure we could keep vulnerable children safe and provide practical and emotional support to those in need. We also worked with charities, sourcing food parcels, toys and activity packs for the children and even arranged for cuddly toys to be knitted via a local knitting group. As restrictions eased, there were many families out there who, more than ever, needed our support in dealing with the additional challenges brought about by the lockdowns. 

In November 2021, I was lucky enough to win Newly-Qualified Social Worker of the Year at the national Social Work Awards. To be personally recognised for my work was something I never expected and I got to attend a celebration event at the Houses of Parliament, which was an amazing and memorable experience.

If you want to make a difference to vulnerable children and young people, you really should consider becoming a children’s social worker. I get a lot of support from my team and my manager, both on a professional and personal level. Children’s social work is often a misunderstood profession, with a general lack of understanding around what we do. This can have a knock-on effect on staff morale and on recruitment, so raising awareness about the role and highlighting the many positive outcomes, can only be a good thing, for both the sector and the vulnerable children and families we work with.