Recognition for Highland social care worker

A social care worker, employed by The Highland Council, has been highly commended in the "Residential Care Worker of the Year" awards held by the Scottish Association of Social Work.

Karen Wood, who has been working for 12 years at The Orchard in Inverness, a respite care unit for children with severe and multiple disabilities, was nominated for the way she cares for each child and works closely with the parents.

She received her award from Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell at a special ceremony in the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh.

Karen said: "I was delighted and honoured to be nominated, particularly as one of the nominees is the parent of a child I have cared for a number of years and with whom I have a very warm relationship. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to make a difference to the quality of the lives of the children and families with whom I work. So I receive this award with pride - not just for myself but for the dear folk who nominated me and for the work that the Orchard team as a whole deliver."

Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell said that all those who had been nominated were standard bearers for their profession and a credit to Scotland. She said: “Social work is truly life-changing work. And it is also one of the most demanding and complex tasks which we as a society ask any group of people to do on our behalf.”

Ruth Stark, Social Worker Manager of the Scottish Association for Social Work, said the judging panel faced an extremely difficult task.

She said: "Although we can only give three awards, the richness of the praise we have heard about good practice will not be wasted. We will use this to make people understand what social work does and how it contributes to the quality of life in Scotland.”