Tracy Plant (pictured right) received a special award with her lecturer Fatima Williams (pictured left). In 2015, Plant scored the highest grade ever achieved for the University of Cape Town's fourth year Social Work practice course.

Tracy Plant received the 2016 Social Work Excellence Award this week at a special event hosted by the National Association of Social Work. Plant, who is a Clinical Social Work Honours student at the University of Cape Town, was nominated by undergraduate course convenor, Fatima Williams. The awards event was held on World Social Work Day.

The National Association of Social Work (NASW) is a voluntary organisation that supports the professional development needs of practitioners in South Aftica. The Western Cape Chapter launched the awards in 2016 in order to promote the discipline and to recognise the extraordinary achievements of local students and practitioners. The award features 10 categories of excellence which include: outstanding social work in leadership; social work excellence in research; excellence in education and excellent auxillary worker. Plant, who received an award in the ‘outstanding student social worker’ category, says that she has always had an interest in helping people. The hard-working student featured on the Dean’s Merit List (a faculty award given for outstanding academic performance) four years in a row and, was awarded her undergraduate degree with distinction. However, this latest accolade took her completely by surprise. “I feel honoured to have been nominated by Fatima Williams for this award and even more overwhelmed for winning it. I feel that it is also a recognition of all the hard work that the lecturers and supervisors in the department of social development at UCT do on an every day basis. Because after all, I would not be where I am today if it was not for them providing me with stimulating lectures, endless hours of support and guidance!” she says.

15th of March was declared World Social Work Day by the International Federation of Social Work. It is viewed as an opportunity to celebrate the millions of practitioners for whom social work is not just a job, but also a calling. South African social workers are in short supply even though the need, created by an expanding immigrant community, substance abuse and the country’s particular constellation of socio-economic challenges, is great. According to Debbie Dreyer, Chairperson of NASW Western Cape, government has developed a practical plan to address these and other social development challenges. She says that the NASW is committed to supporting practitioners also. “Social Work in South Africa is a scarce skill and thus a National Recruitment and Retention Strategy for Social Workers was adopted and implemented. This programme seeks to contribute to retaining social workers and to building them through affirmation and acknowledgement” says Dreyer.

For Fatima Williams, the selection of UCT candidate was easy. “Tracy was obtained this year’s award because of the quality of her academic output - she scored the highest mark ever recorded for our fourth year practice course in 2015 and has worked as tutor in the department displaying tremendous caring and commitment towards her students.  This led to her being employed as a part-time supervisor in 2016.  She is willing to go the extra mile for her students and always willing to assist anyone who is struggling academically. She really embodies the qualities of the professional social worker.” said Williams.