An award-winning social worker from IPswich has rubbed shoulders with MPs at an exclusive parliamentary reception in the House of Commons to launch the Social Worker of the Year Awards.

Emily Tiplady-Ead, who won the Children’s Social Worker of the Year award in November, said she was pleased social work was getting its moment in the spotlight.

“To be invited to the House of Commons to celebrate social work is fantastic,” she said.

“On top of the awards ceremony in November, which was a celebration of everything social work stands for, it is really lovely to have something extra that follows on – it makes it feel really genuinely special.”

At the reception Emily was congratulated by Emma Lewell-Buck MP, shadow minister for children and families, award patron Tim Loughton MP and Isabelle Trowler,the chief social worker for children and families.

Mrs Lewell-Buck said: “It’s been a pleasure to be here to celebrate with all the winners, many of whom have impacted their wider area, other teams and organisations that they work with which is really important because it gets the message out there every single day about the important work that they do.

“Our profession rarely gets recognised so I hope these awards continue to go from strength to strength.”

Entries for this year’s award open on Tuesday March 28.

For more information see here.