Isabelle Trowler spoke to students about her vision for Social Work for the forthcoming years.
Date: 11 March 2019
By Nikolaos Papanikolaou, Journalism BA student
"We need to maximise and utilise the strength of families and community to help each other," said Chief Social Worker for Children and Families Isabelle Trowler to an audience gathered in the Henry Thomas Room at London Metropolitan University last week.
"Social workers are making important decisions, life-changing decisions. They should have consciousness, and they need to be able to make different decisions about families," Mrs Trowler added.
She encouraged the students to be themselves and to try to know themselves if they want to help the families and the children in danger. She also addressed the importance of being somewhere where they can succeed and make a meaningful impact on other lives.
"I still see myself as a social worker. Usually, when you get into those senior positions, you forget what you're there to do. And what you're there to do is to help children and families," she said to the audience.
Mrs Trowler emphasised on the difference between welfare and protection, and poverty and neglect when it comes to a family or a child in danger while reminded to students that when they become social workers, their purpose is to make life easier for people.
London Metropolitan students were excited for the opportunity of having Isabelle Trowler talk to them about their future profession and their struggles, as it was a talk with passion, honesty and optimism.
"For us, it is essential to have people like Isabelle here. It's great to have the opportunity to express our thoughts and doubts and get answers to our questions," said Odesanmi Odoginyon, a Social Work BSc student.
In closing, Mrs Trowler reminded everyone that despite the difficulties there is still hope and that social workers will always do a meaningful job.
"It was great to have Isabelle at London Met. It's essential for the students to be able to ask things directly to her. I think it was a really interesting talk," said Denise Turner, Senior Lecturer in the Social Work department at London Metropolitan University and the BSc Course Lead.
