"The highlight for me is around the children and seeing positive outcomes for them."

Nicola is one of a handful of professionals to have been awarded the accolade after notching up no less than 35 years in children's social care for Lancashire County Council.

Nicola, from East Lancashire, has worked in a host of service areas since she began in 1991, from safeguarding and community work, to multi-agency working and family support.

She said: "I value my team and the work that they do, and I love working with them.

"We work really hard to get positive outcomes for the children, and that's the highlight for me – it's around the children and being able to get positive outcomes for them, more than anything else.

"And when the team gets positive feedback from a child, where people have been struggling but then things have really turned around and they're now settled and happy, and back in education, it's all worthwhile. That's what we do – it's keeping families together."

Nicola, a team manager in adolescent services, fostering and adoption, says she feels honoured and 'humbled' by the award, which comes just before she retires in the summer.

The Amazing Social Workers awards, run by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), the UK’s largest professional body for social work, are aimed at championing the exceptional work happening across the UK social work profession.

They highlight the achievements of individuals and teams in the profession, while raising the profile and public understanding of the critical role of social work in our communities. 

Over 300 individuals and teams were nominated by their colleagues this year, including frontline practitioners, students, managers, leaders, educators and newly qualified social workers.  

Nicola added: "It's absolutely lovely, and I really appreciate it, as I have worked very hard, only ever taking a break when I had my daughter at the age of 21, and apart from that I've worked through for 35 years."

Now she plans to spend more time with her young grandchild, enjoy a well-deserved break from the front line, and consider stepping back into the sector at some point in the future again.

She said: "I plan to decompress, do things that I don't get to do, like go on nice walks and spend time with my grandchild, and think whether I possibly might want to go back into social work at some point; it's always going to be in there for me, as it's a part of me."

Her advice, for anyone considering a career in social care, is that it's a tough but rewarding career choice.

She added: "It is a tough job, but it is absolutely worth it when something positive happens for a child and their life is transformed."

County Councillor Simon Evans, cabinet member for Children and Families, said:

"I am delighted at this award and recognition of outstanding achievements, dedication and hard work, and I'd also like to acknowledge the commitment and resilience of all of our children's social workers.

"We know that children and young people can often face a variety of challenges, and we absolutely value the hard-working children's social care teams that are supporting them."

Commenting on the awards, BASW UK Vice-Chair Lewis Roberts said: 

“BASW is proud run our Amazing Social Workers campaign for its sixth consecutive year. It is a wonderful way for our profession to celebrate inspiring social work practice and pay tribute to the many individual and collective successes that deserve to be noticed. 

“Across our communities, social workers go above and beyond to make a positive difference to the lives of adults, children and families they support. Whether it’s advancing people’s rights and challenging injustices, to advocating for fairness and promoting wellbeing, the role of social work has never been more important during these challenging times. 

“Congratulations to everyone who has been recognised this year and thank you for all you do everyday. We look forward to shining a spotlight on your achievements as part of our World Social Work Day celebrations.”