Co‑building hope and harmony with children and families

This week we came together to mark World Social Work Day 2026, and I left feeling both humbled and hopeful.

This year’s theme, “Co‑building hope and harmony”, felt especially powerful because our event was co‑produced with our Parent’s Forum. Parents shaped the ideas, the conversations and the reflections — reminding us that safer, stronger communities are built when we work with families, not around them.

We began by reflecting on why this matters. Inequalities, conflict and division are not things we can solve alone. Children’s social care and early help can be challenging, complex and at times uncomfortable work — but days like this remind us why it is so important that we pause to celebrate the people and relationships that make it possible.

One of the most moving parts of the day was hearing about peer mentoring, led by a parent with lived experience of the FDAC Court. We heard about recovery, change and giving back — and about the importance of being able to draw on personal experience in a way that is non‑judgemental, compassionate and safe. What really stood out was the role of training, supervision and support — not just in safeguarding, but in enabling confidence, growth and positive contribution.

Parents then spoke about what the Parent’s Forum means to them. We heard about shame, fear and anxiety — and about finding a space where there is no judgement. A space that feels like “an arm around you rather than a clipboard or lanyard”. A space where relationships can be built, voices can be heard, and where parents feel able to speak honestly with practitioners and leaders about what needs to change.

We also heard powerful reflections about relationships between parents, social workers and foster carers. About how difficult it can be to trust when your children are living elsewhere — and how that trust can grow slowly, through communication, honesty and a shared focus on what matters most: the child. When parents are seen as partners, not problems, and when adults work together — “parenting in stereo” — children get the continuity they need to heal and thrive.

Throughout the day, one message kept coming back to me: this work is deeply human. It’s about relationships. And increasingly, it’s about being able to talk openly about care and even love for the children and families we work with — while holding clear professional boundaries.

Supervision plays a vital role here. It’s what allows practitioners and peer mentors to reflect, to be supported, to think through complexity, and to work safely and ethically. Boundaries don’t stop us from caring — they make it possible to care well.

As we closed the day, I was struck by how humbling it was to hear parents thank social workers, practitioners and foster carers for the work they do every day. And by the shared hope that children don’t just survive the system — but thrive within it.

World Social Work Day reminded me that co‑building hope starts with listening, with relationships, and with the courage to keep working together — even when it’s hard.