Dave Thomas: Marking World Social Work Day and Torbay’s ‘good’ progress

This week I am pleased to shine a spotlight on the remarkable work carried out by our social workers after we marked World Social Work Day on March 17.

Across both children’s services and adult social care, social workers make an extraordinary difference to the lives of individuals and families every single day. 

Social work is rarely about headlines or recognition. It is about quiet acts of support,  compassion and professional judgement that help people live with dignity and independence. 

As Baroness Casey recently said in her speech to the Nuffield Trust  Summit on March 5: “When done well social care is not about services or systems. It is about giving someone independence and compassion. About people keeping their quiet dignity. When social care works like that quietly and humanely you might not notice it at all. But it matters greatly.” 

Those words perfectly capture the ethos of the social work profession. 

This year we have much to be proud of in Torbay. Both of our services have  received Good ratings from national inspectors. Our children’s services were rated  Good by Ofsted, while our adult social care services were rated ‘good’ by the Care  Quality Commission, delivered in partnership with Torbay and South Devon NHS  Foundation Trust. 

Ofsted praised the overall effectiveness of our children’s services, the impact of  leaders on social work practice, and the experiences and progress of children in care  and care leavers. The inspection recognised the improvements made through a more  localised and multi-disciplinary approach that supports families earlier and more  effectively. 

His Majesty’s Inspector Steve Lowe noted that senior leaders and politicians have a  clear strategic intent to achieve what is best for children and are addressing areas  for improvement. Inspectors also highlighted the strength of practice among our  social workers, noting their professional curiosity and their ability to engage with  families and understand both strengths and challenges in parenting. 

Meanwhile, the CQC praised our adult social care services for their strong  integration, co-production and person centred approach. The inspection team  commented positively on staff recruitment and retention, the energy and optimism  across teams, and the strong culture created through integrated working between  hospital and community services. 

These inspections rightly recognise the dedication, professionalism and compassion  of the people working across our services. 

At the same time we know that  improvement in social care is always a continuous journey and we remain committed  to building on this progress. As part of that commitment, I am pleased to announce  that our adult social care service has successfully recruited a new principal social  worker, who will join us in June.

The role of principal social  worker is not a statutory requirement for councils.  However, many local authorities including Torbay choose to appoint one because of  the significant professional leadership and expertise they bring to the organisation. 

A principal social  worker provides a clear professional voice for social work at senior  leadership level. They help champion good practice, support professional standards  and ensure that the lived experiences of children, adults and families remain central to how services are designed and delivered. 

In Torbay, our principal social  workers work across both adults and children’s  services to strengthen professional practice and support our workforce. They mentor  and guide social workers and other practitioners, lead on quality assurance and  improvement, and help develop learning and training opportunities across the  organisation. 

Importantly, they also bring frontline professional insight into senior decision  making. By doing so they help ensure that policies, strategies and service  developments remain grounded in the realities of social work practice and the needs  of the people we support. 

Investing in strong professional leadership like this is one of the ways we continue to  strengthen our workforce and ensure the highest standards of care for our  communities. 

This year’s theme for World Social Work Day 2026 is “co-building hope and harmony — a harambee call to unite a divided society”. It highlights the vital role  social workers play in building trust, strengthening communities and supporting  people through some of the most challenging moments in their lives. 

To mark the occasion we recently hosted a celebration event for our children’s services staff to recognise their achievements and look ahead to the future.  Members of our social work teams have also produced a series of blogs and vlogs  sharing their experiences of working in Torbay which you can view on the Torbay Council website. 

Finally, we are continuing to recruit across both our children’s and adult social care  services. If you are currently training as a social worker and graduating this summer,  or if you are considering a career in social care, I would encourage you to keep an  eye on opportunities on the Torbay Council and Torbay and South Devon NHS  Foundation Trust websites. 

Social work is not always visible, but its impact is profound. On World Social Work Day I would like to thank every social worker and practitioner across Torbay for the  commitment, compassion and professionalism they show every day in supporting  our residents and strengthening our communities.