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“Recognising the specific skills and expertise of individuals in need of social care is core to our work” 

Meet Sue Wald, ESN Board Member. Sue represents the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), who are the voice of social care in England. In addition to her role as the international lead within ADASS, Sue brings valuable contributions to ESN through her experience of working with social services within the South West Region in England.

To show the meaningful work to promote social inclusion in her region, Sue tells us about how they have been promoting an approach to social work called ‘Strength-based Working and Community Led Support’. This approach focuses on having an initial conversation with a person in need of support, rather than immediately focus on a formal assessment.

The outcome of their work is that the support offered to people recognises the specific skills and expertise of the individual and meets their needs. Sue highlights that they focus on the individual, what they want to achieve and improve in their life. The core is brave leadership, respect, trust, and the creation of a safe place where there is space to ask for help, listen and share what one thinks without judgement.

We asked Sue how ESN has supported her colleagues within ADASS in learning from others, and this was her answer:

"Thanks to ESN, we have been able to share our efforts with this approach during this year’s Annual Seminar on Delivering Quality in Ageing and Care, and the meeting of the Reference Group of the European Semester. By sharing our experience through ESN activities, we can make a difference by illustrating our learnings from this approach to other ESN members."

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Sue Wald, Corporate Director of Adult Services, Housing and Health at Swindon Borough Council and Co-Chair of ADASS