Shropshire social worker shortlisted for top national award

A social worker from Shropshire has been shortlisted for a prestigious, national award in recognition of their extraordinary practice.

Roz Ryder, a practice educator at Shropshire Council, has been selected as a finalist for Practice Educator of the Year in the annual Social Worker of the Year Awards.

Roz Ryder

Roz joined Shropshire Council in 1990 and qualified as a social worker in 2007. Since then, Roz has worked on a wide range of community-based projects and initiatives which support local people. Roz began working with students in 2008 and later joined the professional development team where she was part of two pilot projects: the student hub and the named social worker.

Roz’s work has contributed to considerable change in practice, focusing on a person-centred and strengths-based approach. In addition, Roz has supported university students from across the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Cheshire and has delivered various talks and training events as part of her remit as the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) lead.

Roz’s students have described her as welcoming, committed, and enthusiastic, with one student noting “I’m very lucky to have Roz by my side” and another commenting that Roz “always goes above and beyond”. Similarly, Roz’s professional peers noted what an exceptional role model she is to students and newly qualified social workers.

Roz is one of six finalists in the Practice Educator of the Year category and will find out if she has won at a special awards ceremony in London on Friday 4 November 2022.

The shortlist, including Roz Ryder

Supported by The British Association of Social Workers (BASW), the Practice Educator of the Year award is for social workers who are involved in mentoring and supervising students and newly qualified social workers. Finalists have been selected for showing how they have successfully coached and mentored students to develop their skills in social work.

Peter Hay CBE, Chair of the Social Work Awards, said:-

“We are delighted with the fantastic entries received this year. As a charity, our aim is to shine a light on the inspirational achievements of an often overlooked profession. Thank you to all the people who took the time out of their day to nominate a friend, colleague, or team for an award this year. And, to all our finalists, congratulations! Being nominated for a national award, whilst supporting others during very challenging times, is a remarkable achievement of which you should be very proud.”

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult social care and public health, added:-

“A huge congratulations to Roz for being shortlisted for this award. The whole of Shropshire Council is rooting for you in November. Having spent over 30 years providing excellence to the social work sector, it is only right that you are recognised for your sheer dedication, professionalism and talent.”

Good luck Roz. For more information about the awards, visit www.socialworkawards.com