Entries open for the Social Worker of the Year Awards 2014

The 2014 Social Worker of the Year Awards has opened for entries.

The awards, for which Community Care is the official media partner, celebrate the work of social workers and social work teams in England.

This year there are 17 awards up for grabs including three new awards: Student Social Worker of the Year; Mental Health Social Worker of the Year; and Principal Social Worker of the Year.

Awards trustee James Rook, managing director of headline sponsor Sanctuary Social Care, said: “We received a record number of entries to the awards in 2013 and with the introduction of three new categories for 2014, this year’s awards are shaping up to be bigger than ever before.”

“We hope that as many social workers and social work teams as possible will take the time to enter themselves and their colleagues so they can be a part of this wonderful event.”

Professor Ray Jones, chair of the awards’ board of trustees, added: “We are looking for individuals and teams who are positive role models and an inspiration.

“They will be social workers who continuously strive to make a positive difference to the lives of the people they support.”

The 2014 awards night will take place on 28 November at the Lancaster London Hotel and the deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday 5 September.

The awards will be judged by a panel of more than 30 leading social work figures, including the chief social workers Lyn Romero and Isabelle Trowler.

Entry forms and full details of all the award categories are available on the Social Worker of the Year Awards website.

The awards are also sponsored by the British Association of Social Workers, the College of Social Work and Corporate Partners.

• Find out about the 2013 Social Worker of the Year Awards winners