Cornwall Council has launched an appeal for people to join their children’s social worker team.

As part of the recent national Social Work Week, they’re looking for people who are passionate about improving the lives of some of Cornwall’s most vulnerable residents.

To highlight the work that social workers do, they’ve featured the stories of two of their trainee social workers, Heidi Kirby and Jade Craddock.

Heidi, in the second year of her Social Work Degree Apprenticeship, has been working in a variety of roles with local authorities for about 20 years, including as a special needs co-ordinator and a family worker.

She said that becoming a social worker was a natural progression and she was accepted onto the course following a ‘thorough and thought-provoking’ interview. She said: “I look forward to meeting new families on my caseload and building a rapport with them. I feel that you can really draw on your own experiences as well as qualifications to make a difference.”

Jade added: “The highlight of the job for me is building relationships with children, young people and their families and the feeling that you get when you feel you’ve made a positive impact. I would say to anyone thinking of applying to become a trainee children’s social worker to go for it! It is incredibly empowering and rewarding and you have the ability to make positive changes and a real difference to the lives of children, young people and families across Cornwall.”

For information about becoming a social worker, visit the worklifecornwall website.