Rukudzo, or ‘Kudzi’, as her colleagues know her, started 2023 with a new job as a social worker at the Department for Child Protection’s Whyalla office.

The 26-year-old last year moved to the Upper Spencer Gulf town to complete a student placement at Centacare, and hasn’t looked back.

“At the end of the day, we’re all trying to make a difference to children’s lives,” she says.

This week, amid World Social Work Day celebrations, South Australia will recognise the complex work the state’s social workers do each and every day.

This includes more than 700 social workers who are employed by the Department for Child Protection to keep children safe and support families to care for children.

Kudzi, who grew up in Zimbabwe, says as a young adult she thought she’d become an accountant, and didn’t consider social work as a career path until moving to Australia.

“In Zimbabwe, it’s more the community that does that social work role,” she says.

“When I came to Australia, I started seeing so many windows of opportunity that I hadn’t seen before. I wanted something I could do that would make a difference and give back to the community.”

Kudzi works in the department’s guardianship team with children in foster, kinship and residential care placements.

Families connected with the child protection system have experienced a broad range of challenges, including poverty, substance abuse, mental ill-health and domestic violence.

Case workers investigate family assessments, plan for children’s safety and help families and children to assure their development, stability and security.

Kudzi says she recently had to pinch herself when she began working with her previous Centacare placement supervisor – both as professionals.

“It was no longer a supervisor­ and student relationship – we were working together as colleagues, in partnership,” Kudzi says.

“I still work with a lot of the same people but in a different role. Those connections I’ve made have made a difference.”

Kudzi says after considering social work as a career, it didn’t take her long to narrow her focus onto child protection.

“It’s challenging in so many aspects and so rewarding,” she says.

“There’s a lot of trauma and I don’t look at it and think that I’m going to be able to resolve its impacts today, but at this point in the child’s life, I know I can make a positive impact in some way.”