Cheryl was chosen as overall gold winner, above five other finalists, in recognition of her commitment to Children’s social work and her inclusive, nurturing leadership style.
Cheryl received the award at a ceremony that took place in London on Friday 4 November. Speaking after the event, Cheryl said: “It was such a wonderful surprise to be nominated and selected as a finalist, let alone to win. I’m still in shock!
“A huge thank you to all the practitioners at Hertfordshire County Council for their nominations. It has been a huge privilege to work with some of the most dedicated and committed practitioners and students, past and present.”
Cheryl, who has been working for Hertfordshire County Council’s Children’s Services for the last 23 years, joins other county council colleagues recognised for their dedication to the service, including Pretty Nkiwane who received an MBE for her dedication to Children’s Services during the pandemic.
Cheryl has been a qualified social worker for more than 25 years. She has practiced in a range of areas within the field of social work, including supporting families experiencing domestic abuse and helping to implement and grow the trailblazing Family Safeguarding model which is currently being rolled out across the country.
Cheryl works hard to share her passion for good social work and inspire others to join the profession. As a Practice Educator she has been supporting the development of students for over 18 years, lecturing at universities across the country and inspiring the next generation of social workers, helping to contribute to the council’s ‘Outstanding’ rating from Ofsted for the impact of leadership on social work practice. This has also been recognised in the large number of newly qualified students applying to Hertfordshire County Council with an added request to join Cheryl's team.
Jo Fisher, Executive Director of Children’s Services at Hertfordshire County Council, said: “We are immensely proud of Cheryl and delighted that her many years of dedicated work to children, young people and families has resulted in her winning this prestigious national award. Hertfordshire is an excellent place to work as a children’s social worker and we are extremely fortunate to have Cheryl as a colleague and team leader.”
