Seeing teenagers learn during a 100km hike that they had strengths they never imagined, is among Sammy Wright’s most fulfilling moments as a social worker.

Based at the Department for Child Protection (DCP)’s Mount Barker office, she recalls accompanying nine teenagers on an Operation Flinders journey through the charity’s Yankaninna Station.

“The group of young people didn’t really know each other and it was different camping out in the dirt in awful weather,” the 37-year-old says.

“But it was a really great experience watching the young people push themselves well past their limits and seeing them support each other. For example, some couldn’t carry their bag anymore, so others would carry their bag as well as their own.

“There were lots of laughs and lots of tears. Some of the young people who were pretty quiet on the first day were far from that on day three.”

As we mark World Social Work Day this week, the Department for Child Protection is celebrating the important work carried out by social workers across the state, including Sammy, who works in the agency’s Guardianship team supporting children in care.

She helps organise the Mount Barker Young People’s Council – a group of people aged 15-22, who meet to discuss their experiences in the care system and how supports might be improved.

“It’s good to see them speaking up for themselves a bit. A lot of the time when their carers or other adults are around, they sit back and don’t say a lot,” she says.

“We ask the young people what they want to consult about. It’s good to get their feedback, and we usually get in guest speakers for them too.”

Late last year, the group took out the Voice of Children and Young People in Care category at the SA Child Protection and Family Support Awards. The award recognises a person or group working to elevate young voices.

Sammy joined DCP about 4.5 years ago, having retrained as a social worker after previously working as a child and youth worker, supporting young people who live in residential care homes.

World Social Work Day highlights the vital role social workers play in bringing people together across communities, cultures and systems to shape a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Department for Child Protection Chief Executive Jackie Bray said the agency’s social workers showed professionalism, expertise and compassion, helping achieve better outcomes for families.

“Their work is complex and can at times be heartbreaking,” she said.

“They provide a listening ear for children and young people, putting their best interests at the centre of all they do, and they walk alongside families, supporting them to create safe home environments. I simply can’t thank them enough for all they do to support families across South Australia.”