Regional Social Work Awards 2025 - BASW NI Outstanding Achievement Award - Application form

The BASW NI Outstanding Achievement Award celebrates the work of social workers who have made an exceptional contribution in their professional role.  It recognises those who have affected a unique and valuable difference to the profession, or to the lives of people who use social work services. Nominations can be made for any individual social worker (practising or retired) with experience of any social work role in Northern Ireland. 

When nominating a social worker for this award, please outline what makes/made their practice excellent in relation to the award category.  Please include examples of the contribution the social worker has made to social work services.  Quotes and testimonies from service users, carers and other professionals strengthen a submission.

Examples could include one or more of the following:

• Promoting best practice in the nominee’s area of social work expertise,
• Demonstrating innovative and creative approaches to delivering services.
• Contribution to education and training
• Publishing research.

Equally, the Award criteria recognises the value of improvements made to the lives of children, families, or individuals through dedicated and compassionate practice, working directly with service users.

The Award also celebrates the efforts of those who have demonstrated an enduring commitment to the promotion of social justice through campaign activities or social work practice.

The judging panels will be chaired by senior representatives responsible for promoting high standards of social work in Northern Ireland.  Panel members will include service users, social workers, social work academics and members of BASW NI. 

In all the awards categories, the judges will be looking for evidence of the individual's achievements.  The application must demonstrate what is excellent about the social work practice and the positive impact on individuals, groups or communities they work with.

Please ensure you have completed all sections in this application and submitted it online by midnight on Sunday 20 October 2024. 

Summary of conditions of entry (full details are provided in the Guidance Booklet)

1. Only social workers registered with the NISCC are eligible to enter the Awards. The only exception is social workers who are retired and are being considered for the BASW NI Outstanding Achievement Award.
2. Previous applicants are welcome to reapply.  Previous winners are only eligible to reapply if their application has a different practice focus. 
3. Entries must be endorsed by a senior manager authorised to act for the employing organisation. (Entries for the BASW NI Award do not require a managerial endorsement and can be submitted by the person proposing the individual social worker for the award.)
4. A project may only be entered for one category.
5. Organisations can enter more than one category, however, each submission must be entirely separate and on an individual entry form.
6. For all awards, the entry form must be supported by a submission of no more than 1000 words.
7. Supplementary material cannot be submitted.
8. By entering you agree to the rules and conditions of entry 
9. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

10. By entering the Social Work Awards, entrants agree to take part in any publicity and to the contents of their submission being used in media releases.

Please note: You can preview responses on pages up to the point of submitting the application.  The 'back' button at the bottom of each page is activated once all required sections on a page are completed.