Shantel Thomas wins Social Justice Advocate Award

The Social Worker of the Year Awards has announced its winners for this year. The Tavistock and Portman’s Shantel Thomas who heads the social work discipline and is the course lead of our Social Work MA has won the prestigious Social Justice Advocate Award.

Shantel, is also the founder of the Anti-Racist Movement (A.R.M) and has been recognised for her outstanding contributions to social justice and advocacy.

Shantel said:

“We cannot believe it! We started off with a seed, just an idea, providing a platform for black women in social work to think about our experiences in practice and the racial trauma that we’ve experienced. We started off online providing a space that we were free to be ourselves, and two years on, we’re about to host our first conference! We’re absolutely elated.”

A.R.M serves as a sacred space for Black women to heal, grow, and thrive, providing a supportive environment where they can nurture themselves and each other. The movement embodies the philosophy of creating “communities of resistance,” echoing the words of bell hooks: “One of the most important ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance – places where we know we are not alone.”

As an independent initiative, A.R.M is described by Shantel as “a space where we do not apologise, explain, or make excuses for who we are.” The movement is deeply rooted in action and self-reliance, inspired by the powerful words of Audre Lorde: “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.”

The Social Worker of the Year Awards is the only major national awards event dedicated to social work in England, attracting hundreds of entries annually. The winners, including Shantel and A.R.M, were selected by panels of independent judges, comprising previous award winners, social workers, industry leaders, and individuals with lived experience of social work. The awards recognize extraordinary practice across 18 categories, including two new additions for 2024: the Technology Enabled Lives and Practice Award and the Practitioner-Led Research Award.

Tavistock and Portman Mark Freestone (Chief Education and Training Officer) said:

“Shantel was drawn to the profession of social work because of her commitment to, and passion for, social justice. She is a shining example of the transformative role social workers play in driving positive change and creating communities that thrive on mutual respect and sustainability. Shantel is certainly deserving of this award”

Peter Hay CBE, Chair of the Social Work Awards, expressed his admiration for the finalists:

“This year we received hundreds of entries, which goes to show how passionate organisations and individuals are to shine a light on the inspirational achievements of an often-overlooked profession. We would like to thank all those who took the time to nominate a friend, colleague, or team for an award this year. To our finalists, we’d like to say congratulations! Being nominated for a national award, whilst supporting others during very challenging times in a year of big changes, is a remarkable achievement of which you should be very proud.”

The winners were announced at a special event in London in November.

For more information contact Shantel Thomas at sthomas@tavi-port.nhs.uk and visit www.socialworkawards.com.