New social worker proving ‘invaluable’ for Holy Trinity

A TYRONE post-primary school has hired a social worker in order to provide more support for its students.

Clare O’Loan has been employed by Holy Trinity College in Cookstown to work as their Student Welfare Officer.

Currently, there are eight schools across the North who employ a social worker.

Speaking of her new role, Ms O’Loan said, “In my role as social worker in Holy Trinity College I work alongside the established safeguarding and pastoral teams to provide additional support to pupils and families.

“I have daily contact with parents, pupils and staff in school to create an environment where the children are supported as much as possible so they can learn.

“Support offered is wide-ranging including individual and group work with pupils, home visits and parental support, as well as linking families to external agencies.”

Holy Trinity College principal Isabel Russell described Ms O’Loan’s role as ‘invaluable’.

She said, “Holy Trinity College is privileged to receive support from The Seamus McAleer Fund, under the auspices of Community Foundation NI, in order to employ a social worker, who is carrying out sterling work supporting pupil emotional well-being, reaching out to families, and ensuring a positive school experience and academic outcomes.

“The knowledge, skills and network support which Clare provides has been invaluable, enabling timely interventions for the benefit of the pupil and their family.”

Guidance

Last Tuesday, the Northern Ireland Social Care Council chose Holy Trinity College as the venue to launch new guidance for employers who are considering employing a social worker for the first time, alongside specific guidance for schools.

The guidance offered on behalf of the Social Care Council is to be used by organisations to help them understand that when employing a social worker in the North, they are subject to a number of regulatory responsibilities and what that means.

The launch event celebrated the increasingly diverse and growing areas of social work practice across the North, and recognised the growing number of employers seeking to recruit a social worker for the first time. There was also a focus on the experience of the growing practice area of social workers working in schools.

Chief Social Worker of the Department of Health Aine Morrison said, “School social workers work closely with the students, their family members/carers, as well as the school and statutory services to promote participation and achievement.

“This guidance helps to support the conditions for social workers to carry out this important work, while also allowing them to thrive professionally.”

The guidance is based on collaborative work taken forward by the Social Care Council, BASW Northern Ireland, the Education Authority (EA), Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) and members of the Third Sector Social Work Leadership Forum.