Sr. Dee McKenna
Sr. Dee was nominated for the Award by the Community Specialist Palliative Care Team Leader and Dee’s professional Social Work Leader. The nominations were examined by Social Work Academics, the regional Health and Social Care Board, and Service Users. The nominations were shortlisted and three finalists in each of the eight categories were invited to attend the Northern Ireland Social Work Awards event in Galgorm Manor Hotel on March 8th where the winner of each category was announced and celebrated.
Dee receiving her award
Dee’s award was given in recognition of the pioneering work she did as a Specialist Palliative Care Social Worker in developing a new initiative called the heart of living and dying which is a public health approach to advance care planning.
Dee with her award
A number of these conversations have been held across the Southern Health and Social Care Trust and indeed some of our sisters have attended. The initiative has been taken up by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and is currently being considered across Northern Ireland. It is also planned that it becomes part of the training schedule of all new doctors in the first instance and subsequently become part of core mandatory training of all health and social care professionals.
Dee and Paul Clark
The Awards are sponsored by the Social Works regulatory body: Northern Ireland Social Care Council. The well-known Broadcaster Mr Paul Clark from UTV (Ulster Television) acted as Master of Ceremonies and conducted a short Interview with Sr. Dee on the work involved.
Veronica O’Brien rsm
Northern Province
