London Ambulance Service social worker responding to 999 calls featured in national campaign

The only social worker responding to 999 calls as part of an ambulance service has been featured in a national campaign marking World Social Work Day.

David Russell is a mental health specialist at London Ambulance Service who works alongside a paramedic, responding to emergency calls in a fast response car.

He was one of five social workers across the country chosen to feature in Social Work England’s campaign to highlight the positive impact they have on the lives of millions of people.

David said: “I work with a paramedic responding to 999 calls across the capital, caring for people in a mental health crisis and helping them stay safely out of hospital whenever possible. It’s a unique role – and many people are surprised to learn that this is social work.

“What matters most to me is the impact we can have on a person in those moments. We can help someone feel safer and less alone. We can treat and care for them at home, or find them the support they need.”

For the campaign, Turner Prize-winning artist Helen Cammock has created a new piece of artwork inspired by David and the other remarkable social workers she met.

Helen Cammock said: “The art piece celebrates the profession, its varied nature, the skills of the people in it and the transformative impact it makes on people’s lives. I had the privilege of speaking to social workers in a variety of roles to provide inspiration for the artwork.”

Helen – a former social worker herself – visited London Ambulance Service’s headquarters in Waterloo to oversee the installation of her new work, which is now displayed on the front of the building.

David is part of a team that pairs mental health specialists with paramedics to respond to 999 calls for patients experiencing a mental health crisis. The team also includes nurses and occupational therapists – but David is the only social worker.

As well as responding to 999 calls, the specialists also work in the Service’s emergency control room, providing over-the-phone clinical assessment.

They care for thousands of patients every month and are able to treat many of them at home rather than take them to hospital.

London Ambulance Service also has social workers working behind the scenes to care for vulnerable patients. For example, social workers help identify and support patients who frequently use the 999 service, addressing underlying complex social and health issues.

London Ambulance Service Chief Medical Officer Dr Fenella Wrigley said:

“As demand for our services continues to rise, we are transforming how we respond to patients, including those experiencing a mental health crisis.

“David and colleagues in our mental health team are making a real difference to patients when they need us most, providing more personalised care in communities.

“They help us provide the right specialist care in the right place – often supporting people safely at home and helping them avoid busy A&E departments wherever possible.”

David added: “It’s a privilege to do this job and to make a difference every single day, often when someone is facing one of the hardest moments of their life.

“That’s why I’m proud to be part of this campaign and to see this plaque displayed at my workplace, showing just how varied and vital social work truly is.”

The artworks are part of the national ‘Change the Script’ campaign led by Social Work England – the regulator for social workers in England – which aims to highlight the positive difference social workers make.

If you need urgent care for your mental health, get help from NHS 111 online or call 111.

Helen Cammock’s artwork can be viewed on the front of London Ambulance Service Headquarters, 220 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8SD.

To find out more about careers at London Ambulance Service and view current vacancies, visit our website here.