Social work students and apprentices be sure to submit your entries by the end of day Sunday 14th June 2026 for the chance to win £500.
The Social Workers Union (SWU) is thrilled to announce that Allison Hulmes, Narinder Sidhu, and Ann Marie Hayes will be marking this year’s SWU Assignment essay competition. Our judges look forwards to reading the thoughtful responses from social work students and apprentices from across the UK to this timely and pressing question:
“How can the social work profession push back against far-right narratives of division, and how can social workers co-build solidarity and hope across communities?”
Up to four of the most compelling arguments within the word limit of 750-1000 words will win a grant of £500 each. Further details and winning essays from previous years are available on the SWU Assignment webpage.
Click here to see the flyer with the 2026 competition details.
Without further ado, let us introduce you to the markers of the SWU Assignment 2026!
Allison Hulmes
Allison Hulmes is a Welsh Romani social work academic, activist and co-founder of the Romani & Traveller Social Work Association. Allison qualified as a social worker in 2001 and has extensive experience in both adult and children’s services. She was formerly the Wales Director at the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) and is the first Romani representative at the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW).
Allison teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students and is actively engaged in research related to social work and Romani and Traveller communities. Allison is widely published and currently serves as a guest editor for a special issue of the Child Abuse Review.
Narinder Sidhu
Narinder Sidhu is an experienced Social Worker with a strong clinical background spanning forensic mental health, CAMHS, brain injury rehabilitation, higher education, and adult social care. Her practice is grounded in trauma‑informed principles, evidence‑based assessment, and a commitment to safeguarding and anti‑oppressive values.
Narinder began her career in forensic social work, developing advanced skills in risk assessment, clinical formulation, and working with individuals presenting with complex mental health needs, offending behaviour, and high‑risk profiles. This early experience strengthened her ability to analyse patterns, manage uncertainty, and contribute to multidisciplinary risk management plans.
Her work later expanded into CAMHS, where she supported children, young people, and families experiencing emotional, behavioural, and psychological difficulties. Narinder’s approach emphasised early intervention, systemic thinking, and collaborative care planning to promote stabilisation and resilience.
Narinder has also worked extensively with individuals living with acquired and traumatic brain injuries, supporting rehabilitation, cognitive recovery, and long‑term adjustment. Her work in this area involved capacity assessments, behavioural formulation, and close partnership with neuropsychology, occupational therapy, and specialist rehabilitation teams.
As a social work lecturer, Narinder brought clinical insight into academic settings, helping students develop reflective capacity, critical thinking, and a strong grounding in mental health and safeguarding practice.
Now working in adult social work, Narinder continues to apply a clinical lens to complex casework, including mental capacity assessments, strengths‑based planning, and multidisciplinary intervention.
Ann Marie Hayes
Ann Marie joined the SWU Executive Committee in 2020 and remains inspired by the breadth and depth of work the union undertakes to meet the specific professional needs of social workers in the UK. Central to her practice is a commitment to challenging the inequalities that impact both service users and the social workers who work alongside them.
Before qualifying, Ann Marie gained valuable experience managing an Adventure Playground and Probation Hostel, and working in Secure Units and Residential Children’s Homes. She is a registered social worker, qualified systemic psychotherapist, and university-level educator, whose career has been dedicated to supporting Children and Families.
As a practitioner, mentor, and manager across a range of Children’s Services teams, Ann Marie developed and led a highly effective Family Support Service, and provided specialist reflective practice support as a Professional Educator. A lifelong learner, she has continually sought to expand her knowledge, skills, and experience in pursuit of the best outcomes for those she works alongside. This commitment has led her to research Critical Reflection in social work practice — an interest rooted in years spent supporting marginalised, vulnerable, and oppressed individuals and communities. She is especially drawn to theories that enhance practice wisdom, and to questions of how power is constructed and operationalised, and how wider discourses shape the nature of social work.
Ann Marie brings a longstanding commitment to ethics, social justice, and human rights — both locally and globally — and to the power of resistance in fostering social change and cohesion. She is particularly passionate about Palestinian Solidarity, and is very engaged with community activism, being guided by Noam Chomsky’s words: “we do not become activists; we simply forget that we are.”