Hear from our staff in Adults' Social Care roles

Social work is “all about people” according to Kate Walker, Bedford Borough Council’s Director of Adult Social Care. And she should know, having had a career which has covered many different parts of social care.

The sky is the limit and social workers can take many valuable paths, Kate is part of the Council’s corporate leadership team. Kate explained how her experience and chosen career path, with her professional qualification has shaped her ability to lead the Adult Social Care Directorate and its work with wider partners and in communities.

She said; “It’s all about people. It’s about the people we serve, and the people in our team. We have so many great people, many service areas and specialisms at all levels, and I’m really proud of that.

“That’s illustrated by two of our most recent recruits - Suzanne Forest as principal social worker, and Tanya Hillier as the principal occupational therapist. They’re part of the wider agenda of driving social work and other key social care areas forward in Bedford Borough. Our portfolio holder for adults services, Councillor Robert Rigby, always says that he wants us to be a beacon of best practice and a good place to work. That’s exactly what these two roles will do. Having Suzanne and Tanya will enhance adult social care in the Borough and allow us to develop practice to provide even better and better outcomes.”

Kate began her career in psychiatric nursing services, before going on to work with older people with mental health illness. Her subsequent career has taken in a wide gamut of the sector, from working children in the care system, working in frontline long and short-term residential care homes, to children with multiple disabilities, to managing a large range of services, working for the NHS, the council, and also some time in the voluntary sector.

She said; “As Director of Adult Social Care I have a wider strategic position, however I’ve retained my professional qualification and registration in Social Work. I’m proud to be part of the corporate leadership team at Bedford Borough Council. Every day I thank and recognise our social workers who make such a difference in getting the best outcomes for the people we serve. Social work has gone from strength to strength in Bedford Borough. Our social workers never stop working to learn more, never stop trying to develop.”

But what makes a good social worker? Kate believes her staff all have certain attributes in common. “Social workers all want to help people,” she said. “They all want to protect people’s rights, to empower. enable, support, and safeguard, which is at the heart of everything we do. They’re good listeners, who want to empower and support people, whatever stage of their life they are in. They work across many disciplines, with and alongside our fantastic social care multi-disciplinary teams and our wider workforce.”

Amanda Eddy has worked in residential care for 40 years, and for the last 35 years has been at Southway residential home, working with people with moderate to advanced dementia.

She has cared for countless residents, and become a familiar face to them, their families, and her colleagues, doing a job she loves.

But when we interviewed here as part of Dementia Action Week, she could still remember what she felt on her first day on the job; “I was terrified! I thought I would never be as good as the older staff that took me under their wing.”

Luckily Amanda shook off her self-doubts and quickly realised that she had found somewhere she truly belonged. Within three month she went from carer to fourth officer and then third officer, and a few years later she became deputy manager. But although she has also covered the role of manager on a number of occasions, she much prefers being deputy – “You’re still the head of care, working with the residents every day.”

She added; “When I first started, residential care homes were often run by married couples. I was at the Moat House in Conduit Road, but then I was ‘loaned’ to Southway because the manager and his deputy were married and they both retired. I only thought I’d be here for a year, gaining experience and helping the senior team!”

Amanda admits that it can be a challenging job, but adds “The rewards and job satisfaction far outweigh everything else”. She believes that anyone looking to work with people who have dementia needs to have empathy, be flexible, and be self-reflective, adding “It’s important you don’t impose your own views on other people.

“It’s not just the carers who are important here, everyone plays a key role, from catering staff to housekeepers. They all enjoy being around the residents, are interested in them as people, and care about their life stories. And my manager Jakub is extremely supportive of all of us. We’ve worked together for nearly a decade, and he helps to make this such a positive place, for residents and staff alike.”

Suzanne has worked in various areas of adult social care including hospital discharge, long-term teams and front door service, before qualifying as a Social Worker

"Having the right managers at the right time helped to develop my confidence and skills to progress – through to senior social work roles, management and now the role of Principal Social Worker."

Bedford Borough Council came highly recommended to Suzanne as a good place to work and seems perfect place for the next stage of her career : "I heard good things about the structure and dedication of the Adult Services department from colleagues who already worked in the Borough. The role of Principal Social Worker has long held interest for me as the champion of service innovation, quality assurance and practice development - inspiring others, I hope, to love what we do as much as I do. I believe that Bedford Borough has a really bright future - building on the solid foundation of our existing good work and practices. I am excited to be part of developing a centre of excellence for practice, innovation and staff development, ensuring we support the next generation of social workers, managers and even principals to aim high. 

Suzanne explains that every day is a learning day in the Principal Social Worker role. "If I am a lead in practice, it is essential that I maintain and forward my continuous professional development so I can offer direction and advice on service innovation and practice development. For example, I am currently developing a learning suite for finance training as well as reviewing, with the Principal Occupational Therapist, our mandatory training expectations.

"My day is very creative. I have been afforded the space to research and learn before presenting recommendations for innovation to the teams and the Senior Leadership Group. It may be writing a presentation to help teams understand the new Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessments, reviewing policies and creating frameworks, or speaking to people to support their practice. I love seeing people I’ve supported to develop – my favourite moments are seeing someone afraid of studying take on an apprenticeship, or the lightbulb moment when they ‘get’ strength-based practice or are brave to go for a promotion. I feel a huge sense of wellbeing and happiness when I see people flourish."

For anyone thinking of applying for a role in local government Suzanne says: "Go for it! A career in local authority practice is incredibly rewarding, offering numerous opportunities for growth and development. Many people build lifelong careers in this field. Each day brings new challenges, pushing you to solve problems, listen to others, collaborate, and be transformative".

Social work is not about recognition, according to Bertha Bour – it’s about meeting people from all different walks of life and making a difference to their lives.

Bertha is an experienced social worker, who has been with Bedford Borough Council since 2019, after first joining the profession 14 years ago.

And she relishes how every day – and every person’s needs – are different.

Bertha said; “Some people have physical challenges, such as frailty and ageing. For other people it can be mental challenges, such as dementia or depression. I could be working with literally anyone aged 18-plus, whatever their gender, background, religion, or ethnicity. What unites us is that we’re all human – if you need help then you need help, and we’re there for you at your time of need.”

Bertha described how people can come to receive support from a social worker after a report from a concerned friend, family member or neighbour, or a referral from a GP or other health or care professional.

“Not everybody wants us to get involved, and what our involvement looks like can vary too,” said Bertha. “It can be ongoing, or it can be re-ablement – getting people back to what their normal baseline looks like. That can last for up to six weeks, is free, and is often part of the discharge plan when people leave hospital.”

Bertha can’t quite put her finger on how she realised that social work was the career for her, but with her she comes from a family who like to help others. 

“I’ve always been a people-person,” she said. “And what better way to use that in my career than by working with so many people, every day. This is always a fascinating job, it’s never boring, although it can be psychologically draining. What success looks like varies from person to person. But when you see somebody getting better and getting happier, you think ‘I helped with that, I helped that happen’. That brings a huge feeling of personal fulfilment.”

Jeanette has worked in social care for more than 20 years and after some time in the private sector, joined Bedford Borough Council initially on a temporary contract.

Feeling welcomed from day one, Jeanette knew she wanted to stay. "When I arrived, I met a very warm, hardworking, and responsive front door team that made me feel very welcome from my first day. I decided to become a permanent employee in Bedford because of the staff; I met people who have worked for the Council for many years and they are still as passionate about the Borough as they were on the day they started. I also liked the fact that I would be able to work alongside a management team that are supportive of their social workers and are very much pushing the culture of strength-based practice and helping residents to live dignified and fulfilling lives.

Jeanette's day-to-day activities are wide ranging as she manages the Adult Social Care Team to ensure that we support people who come to the Council asking for help. "We assess eligibility for support, we signpost people as and when required, we work in partnership with voluntary organisations that provide services on the Council’s behalf, we provide support to carers, and we manage risk by triaging cases to ensure that people are safe to remain in their own homes. We work in partnership with the long-term social work teams and work with our colleagues in Safeguarding, Reablement, Telecare, Sensory, and Occupational Therapy to manage risk and ensure people are safe.

"No two days are the same, things can change very quickly, and you must be prepared. The staff are amazing. I have a fantastic management team, the team of are very supportive of each other and we do good work. Bedford Borough Council is a great place to work, there are great opportunities for you."