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INUVIK
Karen English was always interested in the wellbeing of children, always interested in working with people, and she knew becoming a social worker would be a natural fit.

The Inuvik social work team of the Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services Authority include back row from left, Ruth Anne Blake, Karen English and Donald Robert, front row from left, Laura Kennedy, Solange Cormier and Melissa McDonald. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

The North needs more Northern social workers like English, who was born and raised in Inuvik, as well as families who are able to donate time, love and dedication to foster children in the territory.

The Inuvik front line social workers are now using Social Work Week as a chance to show the faces behind their profession and spread education and awareness about their work to more than 20 different government departments and agencies in the community.

English, who is a senior community social service worker, will have been working in the social work sector for 14 years this December.

She received both her degree in social work as well as her master's from the First Nations University of Canada in Regina.

She said part of her job in social services ensures the safety of children. If people in the community think something is wrong in a home, think they've seen something that they do not feel right about, calling social services – which has a 24-hour emergency service for child protection – is a proactive step to ensure the child or youth is taken care of.

Working with elders

English said social services also works with elders in the community to help get them out of negative environments and achieve a better quality of life.

"We will go and talk to the child and the parents and other contacts to see if the child is safe. That's our main purpose, to work with families, to help them to ensure the safety of kids here in the community," said English.

In her 13 years in the industry, English said the benefits in the community are seen everyday, especially when she receives a smile from someone who she worked with in the past.

"There are lots of kids I still see in the community that have left our system and they still come up and talk to you, update you," she said.

"That's really important, all that kindness we shared together is still there in the present. They still want to talk with you and share with you."

However with every child getting help and leaving the system, more are entering it, needing guidance and a chance to start life in a positive environment.

"We're always looking for foster homes," said English.

"There is a need in the North and in Inuvik, there is a shortage as in the rest of the territory."

She said people can contact the social work sector at the hospital with any questions about the different types of foster care, whether it's short-term or weekend work.

On Monday, the Inuvik social work team of the Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services Authority held an open house at the hospital.

On Friday, the team will use the day to visit government departments and agencies and introduce themselves face to face.

Ruth Anne Blake, manager of social services for Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, said the theme for this year's Social Work Week is "building bridges, strengthening relationships."

"What we really like to do is to promote the profession and engage interest among the youth because we'd really like to have more local social workers in the communities," she said.

The social workers had a booth at Samuel Hearne Secondary School's career fair at the beginning of the month.

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