Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is proud to celebrate Social Work Week 2026, recognising the compassion, expertise and impact of their 262 social workers, who are an integral part of NHS multidisciplinary teams across our mental health services.
This year’s international theme, “Co‑Building Hope and Harmony: A Harambee Call to Unite a Divided Society,” reflects the crucial work our social workers undertake every day, strengthening communities, reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes for people at their most vulnerable.
NHS Social Workers bring specialist expertise into every corner of the organisation, ensuring people receive care that is safe, compassionate and grounded in their whole lives, not just their clinical needs. Their work spans the full breadth of the Trust’s mental health pathways, including children’s services and child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), adult community and inpatient teams, older person’s mental health, specialist and forensic services, safeguarding, primary care networks, and perinatal and therapeutic services.
While local authorities lead statutory social work, NHS social workers offer a different and equally vital specialism. Their practice is rooted in mental health, human rights, and the social determinants of health. Every day, they support people and families, across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, by applying advanced knowledge of mental health legislation and protective frameworks; delivering holistic assessment and personalised care planning; practising in trauma‑informed and anti‑discriminatory ways; managing complexity, risk and crisis; and working in partnership across multiple agencies and professional disciplines.
What sets NHS Social Workers apart is the way they connect clinical treatment with the wider realities of a person’s life. They ensure care is not only clinically effective, but meaningful, safe and linked to an individual’s relationships, community and long‑term wellbeing. Their presence is central to the NHS vision of prevention‑led, community‑based mental health care and to improving outcomes for the people they serve.
Suzie Marriott, Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Allied Health Professionals and Social Work, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said,
“Our social workers are a vital part of our multidisciplinary teams and make an extraordinary difference every single day. Their expertise in mental health, rights‑based practice and holistic care is essential to the people and communities we serve. As part of Social Work Week, we are also proud to launch a year‑long campaign that shines a light on every healthcare profession across our Trust—celebrating with staff the personal motivations and stories that brought them to their chosen profession to care for patients and service users through our ‘Why I became a…’ campaign. This is an opportunity to recognise the passion, dedication and diversity and unique perspectives that underpin the high‑quality care we provide together within a multidisciplinary team.”
These stories reveal the passion, purpose and resilience at the heart of NHS social work.
Ramona Persaud, Winchester Community Mental Health Team Service Manager, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said,
“I became a social worker because every person deserves to be genuinely seen, heard, and respected. My work is driven by a deep belief in fairness and in creating spaces where equality and equity are not optional aspirations but everyday practice. In my senior NHS role, I witness how social work brings a rare blend of humanity and courage into complex systems, listening deeply, advocating fiercely, and understanding the full story of a person’s life. Social workers uplift voices that are too often overlooked and help people feel empowered, safe, and valued. Being part of this profession is a profound privilege.”
The Trust is also delighted to congratulate four colleagues who have been recognised nationally by the British Association of Social Workers in its Amazing Social Worker Awards:
🌟 Emma Lister - Amazing Social Worker: Celebrated for her creativity, curiosity and commitment to developing future practitioners.
🌟 Ramona Persaud - Amazing Team Manager: Recognised for compassionate leadership and strong professional values.
🌟 Marinka Huxtable - Amazing Social Worker: Recognised for her compassion, creativity and commitment to empowering people and mentoring students.
🌟 Wanda Reynolds - Amazing Social Worker: Honoured for her calm, person‑centred practice and dedication to improving outcomes for young people.
Their achievements shine a national spotlight on the exceptional standard of social work practice within the Trust.
Nikki Whatley-Walsh, Associate Director for Social Work, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust added:
“I am immensely proud of our social work community. They bring humanity, courage and compassion into complex systems and ensure that people feel seen, heard and valued. Their work is both powerful and life‑changing.”
Because NHS social workers are employed in integrated roles within our multidisciplinary teams, access to support is allocated based on clinical need rather than by direct request. People are connected with a social worker through the mental health service they are referred into, ensuring the right support is provided at the right time.
Find out more about Social Work by visiting the Trust’s website.