A Stirling Council social worker has been shortlisted for a major honour in recognition of the outstanding care and support she delivered to a group of refugee children and adults from Ukraine.
Wendy McKitterick, team leader for Family Placement, is among the three finalists for the Social Worker of the Year at the Scottish Social Services Awards (SSSA).
Wendy, who has been a social worker with the council for more than 25 years, was nominated for the accolade following her extraordinary efforts to create a safe, nurturing environment for a group of young people and adults from children’s homes in Ukraine.
In March this year, the council answered a request from charity Dnipro Kids to provide temporary sanctuary in Callander for 50 child refugees and a number of adults fleeing the devastating war in Ukraine.
Suitable accommodation and other key supports for the children were put in place in a matter of days thanks to the work of the council and its partners, including NHS Forth Valley, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, the Care Inspectorate, charities and the local community.
During their stay, the children and adults took part in a range of activities including swimming, cycling, bowling, soft play, crafts and fishing, before moving on to accommodation in Edinburgh.
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For four weeks, Wendy worked round the clock, preparing for and then welcoming the women and children, ensuring their basic and then more complex needs could be met following their traumatic experiences.
Leading a volunteer support team from social work, education and residential services, Wendy’s dedication, empathy, understanding and sensitivity was said to have paved the way for the children and women’s next steps to longer term stability.
Wendy said: “From my many years of working with children, it’s important that social work practice focuses on the voices of the children we look
after.
“Building relationships and trust with the young people and adults from Dnipro was critical in providing the care and support they needed at a very traumatic and uncertain time, having fled their homeland and everything that was familiar to them.
“Creating such a welcome and caring home environment in Callander was an incredible team effort, involving council staff, partner agencies and the local community.
“Everyone involved made a real difference to the children and adults in the group as they settled into life in Scotland before their onward journey, and I would like to thank everyone for their commitment and dedication.”
The council’s children and young people convener, Councillor Danny Gibson, said: “We are so proud of Wendy and she is thoroughly deserving of this recognition.
“In this unprecedented, fast-moving situation, Wendy and her team rose to the challenge and went above and beyond to ensure the children, young people and adults from Ukraine had the care and support they needed at a traumatic time.
“While Wendy would be the first to highlight the amazing contribution of the wider team and everyone involved in this challenging situation, her leadership skills and commitment to help others was inspiring and a credit to the council.
“She is already a winner in our eyes.”
Stirling Council’s Brucefield residential care home is also in the running for an accolade at the SSSA.
The Bannockburn-based facility, which provides accommodation for 10- to 18-year-olds as well as respite care, has been shortlisted for an Outstanding Residential Care Service Award.
The small team of staff at Brucefield have been recognised for their response to the unprecedented challenge of providing care for a large number of Ukrainian children and their carers at short notice in March, along with their ongoing work to support young people facing significant adversity.
Councillor Gibson added: “Congratulations to all the staff at Brucefield for their well-deserved nomination which reflects their outstanding levels of care and support they provide to young people with complex needs.”
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Glasgow next Wednesday.
