The final shortlist for this year’s Social Worker of the Year Awards has been announced, and the nominees include six social workers from Cambridgeshire County Council.
Social Worker of the Year Awards 2025 is one of the most prestigious events in the sector – the awards celebrate outstanding achievements across the profession and highlight the transformative impact social workers have on people’s lives.
The winners for each of the 18 categories will be revealed during an awards ceremony on Friday 17th October, with one individual category winner receiving the award for ‘Overall Social Worker of the Year’.
These nominations shine a spotlight on the critical role adult social workers play across complex care settings, in international contexts, and in championing social justice and equality.
The nominations for Cambridgeshire County Council staff span five categories, which recognise excellence, leadership, and social impact.
The finalists are:
- Adult Social Worker of the Year - Alex Giasemidis, Palliative Care Social Worker.
- Practice Leadership and Management, Adult Services - Fran Marshall, Principal Social Worker (Adults), Nora Hanna, Team Manager – Deprivation of Liberty (DoLs), Adult Social Care.
- Social Justice Champion Award - Thabang Thacker, Service Manager (Targeted Support), Children’s Social Care.
- Practice Educator of the Year - Karen Rodgers, Practice Development Lead (Adults), HR - Learning and Development.
- International Social Work Award - Sharon Ndoro, Social Care Development Lead, Cambridgeshire Academy for Reaching Excellence (CARE) (Children’s Services).
Dr Stephen Moir, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire County Council, commented: “We’re all immensely proud of our nominees and wish them all the very best for the awards in October. Knowing many of these brilliant practitioners and what they do personally - they all deserve to be finalists.”
Cllr Graham Wilson, Chair of the Adults and Health Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “These nominations are a testament to the skill and dedication of our individual social workers, and to the culture of excellence we’ve built across our services. It’s incredibly inspiring to see our staff being recognised for their leadership, innovation and advocacy for those who need it most in our communities.”
Cllr Edna Murphy, Chair of the Children and Young People Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We are all incredibly grateful for our social workers and the life-changing work they do every day. These nominations are a recognition of the hard work and commitment that goes in to supporting our communities in Cambridgeshire. A huge well done to all those shortlisted.”
To find out more, head to the Social Worker of the Year Awards website: Finalists announced for Social Worker of the Year Awards
