Our Staff
Our staff are committed to working with Herefordshire families to provide the best support, care and protection possible and for children and young people to have to best start in life.
You can read about their experiences of working for Herefordshire below.
Jeanadelle – Managing Practitioner, Assessment
Jeanadelle grew up surrounded by children, her passion for making a difference in their lives became a driving force in her choice of career. She loves working with children and her passion is to make a significant impact on the lives of children and young people.
She’s committed to being a stepping stone for children, knowing that the positive influences she provides may be remembered and valued as they grow older. Jeanadelle cherishes the opportunity to support families and witness the positive changes she helps bring about.
Jeanadelle said: ‘At Herefordshire, we have a full 45 days of assessment, which means we have time to consider how to best support the family. You’re supported in the decisions you make which enhances your confidence.
“I love seeing the green fields and cows. I even found an egg lady on my way home, who I now get my eggs from! I commute to Herefordshire from Birmingham, Herefordshire has less traffic congestion, leading to shorter and less stressful commutes. You definitely don’t see fields and cows in Birmingham.
“If you’re considering joining Herefordshire, give it a try. Managers here give you time to absorb and progress. They want to grow their own and there’s always opportunities to progress and try something new.”
Kerry – Team Manager, Assessment
Kerry’s own childhood experiences in the care system led her to a career in social work. She began working as a social work assistant while pursuing her degree in Warwickshire. The role provided her with a solid foundation in social work principles and practices.
Kerry has only been with Herefordshire for a short time and is really enjoying her experience here so far. She’s quickly progressed to a management position and despite the nature of her new role, Kerry still feels deeply connected to social work and to supporting families. Additionally, her new position offers great work-life balance, which is perfect for her lifestyle.
Kerry says: “Everyone has been extremely friendly and welcoming at Herefordshire.
The opportunities here are incredible considering it is a rural location. It’s also fantastic that Herefordshire offer a relocation package. Being situated in such beautiful countryside surroundings is a huge plus.
To anyone thinking about joining Herefordshire, I’d say – absolutely go for it! The team members are incredibly supportive, and there’s a strong emphasis on safe practices and ensuring your safety as a social worker. The support system from senior management is excellent, with managers actively involved with the team. Plus, the beautiful scenery is a wonderful bonus.”
Chase – Participation Worker, Care Leavers Team
Chase joined Herefordshire over 2 years ago. His role as a Participation Worker means he’s responsible for organising fun and engaging activities for children and young people in our care. He also supports our young people to ensure their voices are heard through their participation in meetings, groups and panels.
Chase said: “I really enjoy living and working in Herefordshire. It’s a friendly, welcoming place and we have a beautiful city that’s surrounded by attractive market towns and lovely green rural areas. It’s a great mix and there’s always something interesting to do.
“I work in a great team and we’re all really passionate about building trust with our young people so we can support them to do well. They’re all important individuals to us and we do the best we can to help them transition through to adulthood safely.
“The best part of my job is seeing our young people succeed. Sometimes it can be seen as a small achievement but it could be a huge step forward for that young person. I’m incredibly lucky to do a job that I love and there’s a sense of pride that I’m supporting young people from our local communities to be successful in their lives.”
Dylan – Head of Service for Safeguarding and Quality Assurance
Dylan qualified as a social worker in 1995, and originally worked in adult mental health and supporting the homeless. His career took a different turn when he carried out some work with a women’s refuge and saw the need to support families with children. He made a conscious move to work with families by taking up roles in charities and local authorities.
His career journey with Herefordshire children’s services began in December 2021. Dylan said: “After a year of working in Herefordshire as an interim I applied for the role of Head of Service for Safeguarding and Quality Assurance and became a permanent member of staff. I really enjoy working here, it’s a nice environment and everyone is really friendly and welcoming.”
Dylan remains passionate about supporting children and families in need. He says: “We’re committed to making things better for our families and our communities. Working in social care can be a difficult job but at Herefordshire our ambition is to improve our services and we are all pulling in the same direction to be better. There’s real drive and commitment from everyone to make a difference to the lives of our local families and being part of this team means you never feel alone.
“I would say to anyone who’s thinking of working with us, if you want to be part of something where you’ll make a positive difference to the lives of children and families, you will certainly be able to experience this in Herefordshire.”
Matthew – Social Worker, Children with Disabilities team
Matt graduated at University with a Sound Technology degree, but his plans of working in live music changed when he discovered a passion for working with children.
After leaving University, purely by chance, Matt took up a role working in a children’s residential home, supporting children and young people with special educational needs and behavioural difficulties. After discovering he really enjoyed the role, he worked his way up to management over the course of 5 years. He changed jobs and became the managing director of a child care setting after starting a family of his own.
Pursuing his interest in children’s social care, Matt then applied to the government’s ‘Step up to Social Work’ programme and was delighted when he was offered a place with Herefordshire Children’s Services for the 15 months accelerated course. He thoroughly enjoyed his time with us and decided to sign up for the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (AYSE) programme. Matt is now a fully qualified social worker and continues to be a valued member of our Herefordshire team.
Matt says: “Working with children who have disabilities or additional needs is my passion, and my work allows me to make life better for people living in our local communities. This is really important to me, and I always want to do meaningful work to support local families who have a child, or children, who are inherently vulnerable and who deserve equal opportunities.
“The best part of my role is meeting with families face to face, understanding what they’re going through and finding the best way to support them to meet the child’s needs.
“Being a Social Worker can be challenging, but Herefordshire offers really good flexibility. The council’s wider offer to social care staff is really competitive and the annual leave entitlement and pension scheme are great.
“Herefordshire is home for me and I care about the area and the people that live here. It’s a beautiful part of the world and when the sun is shining you can’t beat it. There’s always something interesting to do and new places to discover.”