Social work projects revolutionising mental health care locally

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust is at the forefront of highlighting the vital role of social work. As social work continues to grow within the NHS, our social workers are pioneering projects that aim to embed values of self-determination, empowerment, and community-centred care into the heart of local services.

Social work is a relatively new but rapidly expanding profession in the NHS. Recognised by NHS England for its essential role in holistic, community-based care, the team is now promoting initiatives aimed at tackling health inequalities, promoting inclusion, and creating new ways of working.

Working in collaboration with Trusts across Northern England, our Social Workers are leading several innovative projects including:

- Social Work Supervisor and Systemic Practice Training: Equipping supervisors with the skills to ensure safe practice, support staff resilience, and address inclusion in leadership roles. focusing on safe practice, diversity, resilience, and adapting to challenging roles like Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) positions.

- Trauma-Informed Care Training: Enhancing social workers' understanding of trauma’s effects on service users and improving care delivery, to better understand and address the impacts of trauma on service users.

- Anti-Discriminatory Practice Framework: Developing a competency framework to promote equity in mental health services. This work aims to improve outcomes for communities experiencing health inequalities.

- Interprofessional Learning Tools: Strengthening collaboration within multidisciplinary teams through cutting-edge resources, training and testing innovative tools and resources to enhance teamwork and role clarity in busy healthcare environments.

These projects demonstrate our Trust’s commitment to creating inclusive and innovative approaches to mental health care. "Social work is pivotal to achieving the NHS’s broader vision for holistic, community-centred care," said Fran Ashton, Head of Social Work. "By equipping social workers with the tools to address trauma, foster equity, and collaborate across professions, we are building a stronger, more inclusive system of care."

Fran Ashton was recently awarded the Gold award at the 2024 Social Worker of the Year Awards ceremony. The award was one of only two awarded to a Social Worker employed by an NHS Trust, as well as being the only one awarded where it was in partnership with a local authority.

With training programs launching in 2024 and resources set to revolutionise care delivery, these initiatives signal a new chapter for social work within the NHS.