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Final shortlist

Let’s celebrate our final shortlisted social workers and all the young people nominated for the Frontline Awards 2024!

Join us in celebrating the final shortlist for:

We are also very excited to recognise all the young people nominated for:

Frontline Award for Leadership

Kindly supported by Tile Hill

Claire, Lewisham

Claire demonstrates outstanding social work leadership within Lewisham, prioritising the wellbeing of the entire workforce in her role as workforce wellbeing lead. She continuously champions for social workers to feel valued, supported and equipped to handle the demands of their roles. This directly translates into improved outcomes for children and families.

Emma, Norfolk

Emma has worked for Norfolk Children’s Services for an amazing 24 years and is still as determined as ever to create change for children and families, most recently in one of Dereham’s children’s homes. Emma is unwaveringly child focused, draws the best out of her team and is always thinking of new ways to provide positive experiences for young people.

Gareth, Lancashire

Gareth has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in the field of fostering by leading the development of a mentoring programme for foster carers within Lancashire’s fostering service. He is a dedicated team manager, who is kind, friendly and a good communicator and has most importantly made a big impact for foster carers.

Celia, Islington

Celia has over 10 years social work experience in child protection. She leads passionately and fiercely to improve service delivery and social work practice, which in turn has achieved the best outcomes for children at risk. Celia has been instrumental in a number of initiatives, such as the Edge of Care Service, and she designs and delivers training for the community.

Frontline Award for Practice

Kindly supported by 31ten Consulting

Alex, Hampshire

Alex is a brilliant, funny and down to earth person who will do anything for anyone. He goes above and beyond in his role as a social worker and is always fighting for what is best for the young people he supports. He builds strong, lasting relationships that make a meaningful difference and is committed to creating change for children and young people.

Ela, Darlington

Ela works directly with children in care, keeping their needs at the centre of all she does. She is a passionate advocate for these children and young people and strives to ensure they have the right support, at the right time. She is dynamic, caring and empathetic and is often someone who the team turns to in difficult situations. Ela guides new social workers on how to manage risk effectively and is an asset to the team.  

Kasey, Southwark

Kasey is always looking for improvements and new ways to support children and young people. She takes a particular interest in intersectionality, diversity and inclusion and has used her own experiences in her work with families, as well as to support other social workers. In everything that Kasey does she is pushing for equality and best outcomes. 

Kenneth, Islington

Kenneth is a core part to the children in need team in Islington. He’s reliable, intelligent and extremely hard working. He has a keen curiosity and builds strong and compassionate relationships. Kenneth never shies away from going the extra mile to support children, families or colleagues. He keeps children’s wellbeing at the heart of all decision making.

Samantha, Islington

Samantha is passionate about her role, working in collaboration with children, young people and their families to create the change they need. She creates trusting relationships with families, using this skill to effectively support parents with chronic health needs and learning difficulties to improve their parenting capacity, highlighting the strengths they hold.

Frontline Award for Team of the Year

Kindly supported by Hampton’s Resourcing.

Islington’s IRO team

Islington’s IRO (independent reviewing officer) team works alongside social workers to ensure that children’s voices and lived experiences are heard, known and considered. The team are dedicated, compassionate and fierce advocates for children in care. They balance competing points of view, navigate complex demands, but never compromise on the best interests of the children in care.

Route 1, Somerset

The Route 1 team recruit, train and support volunteers to support children and young people, a priority in Somerset. There is a strong learning culture within the team which is replicated in the quality training and induction process they provide; this has a positive impact on safety and wellbeing for all involved. The child’s needs and voice is at the heart of everything they do. 

Staying Close, Darlington

Darlington’s Staying Close is a newly formed team who work with 22 young people who are transitioning from children’s homes or supported accommodation to independent living. Everything from physical accommodation to social events, life skills training and much more has been designed around children. The team consistently go above and beyond for young people. 

Frontline Award for Innovation

Kindly supported by The Portal Trust.

Jo Ritchie

Jo has tirelessly supported children, young people and women who are being or have been sexually exploited. Her vast experience ranges from over 10 years with Barnardo’s, her innovative work in Hawaii, with the Bluewater Mission Justice Ministry, reaching out to sex trafficking victims, to most recently setting up Night Light with Avon and Somerset Police. A project that partners with street sex workers aiming to support and identify children at highest risk of exploitation.

Jonny Hoyle

Jonny has worked for North Yorkshire Council his whole career in various roles and has recently started working on a project to reimagine case management using artificial intelligence. Tools like this could enable social workers to spend less time searching for information and more time doing valuable work with children and families.  

Kyrene Darko

Kyrene has been a qualified social worker for over 10 years and is passionate about social work leadership and wellbeing. This passion led her to start the Social Work Leaders podcast, promoting and encouraging leadership in social work, and to create The Social Work Mentor, a variety of resources for new and aspiring managers.

Watch this space over the coming month as we celebrate all the young people nominated.