Australian wins agency social worker of the year crown

A recently qualified social worker from Australia has won the annual agency social worker of the year award, just 18 months after arriving in the UK.

Emily Moran won the social worker category in the Recruitment and Employment Federation’s annual awards for temporary staff and will learn today whether she has taken the overall agency worker crown.

Moran was placed at a looked-after children’s team in Brixton, south London, last year. She works with 14 children, focusing on their health and education, and had been warned that it was a demanding role.

Challenging and satisfying

“When I first got the job quite a few people said to me you’re not going to last three months,” she said. “It is challenging, but it’s satisfying. I’m not the type of person who wants to go to work to have an easy job.”

After only three months in Brixton, Moran was faced with breaking the news to a child with learning disabilities that her mother had been murdered.

Despite facing some stressful situations, Moran said that she enjoyed London’s diversity. “The rewards you get by working with different clients are really good – I wouldn’t necessarily get the same satisfaction back home because it’s a completely different demographic.”

Moran’s parents have flown over from Australia to see her collect her award today at a House of Commons reception. “It was very flattering to be nominated, but I didn’t think it would go beyond that.”

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