On this day (13^th December) in 1930, Olive Stevenson, one of the foremost social work academics of recent times was born. So we thought it appropriate today to celebrate her contributions to the profession we love.

Stevenson’s early career was spent specialising in vulnerable children in Devon, but she later also worked with vulnerable adults and the elderly. 

She is best known as a member of the inquiry into the death of Maria Colwell which brought her a level of celebrity which she did not welcome, but her contributions to social care were immense.

As an academic she was a lecturer and reader in Applied Social Studies at Oxford University and later a fellow of St Anne’s college, Oxford which she remained until her death in 2013. She was also a professor at the University of Keele & The University of Nottingham in Social Work. In 1970 she became the founding Editor of the British Journal of Social Work.

Her public service was also wide ranging and she was a member of Royal Commission on Civil Liberty amongst others and served as Chairwomen of a number of notable organisations such as Age Concern England.

Her dedication to public service and particularly Social Work meant that in 1994 she was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for the development of social services.

Stevenson was a giant of Social Work and we at East Sussex County Council extend our gratitude and respect for the contributions she made.