EastEnder Lucy Speed visited Croydon to give the council's social services staff a welcome boost at a special recognition awards ceremony held on Thursday, November 14.

Miss Speed, who plays character Natalie Ward, Barry's long-suffering wife, took time out from Albert Square to come to Katharine Street's town hall to pay homage to social services staff.

Lucy Speed's mother, Sue, has worked for Croydon social services for over 11 years, and Lucy was only too happy to tell over a hundred council staff gathered for the occasion just how aware she was of the dedication needed to work in social services.

The Employee of the Year award went to Lorna Adeboyeku, who has worked for Croydon social services for 21 years and is part of the assessment service, children's division.

As manager of the emergency night duty social work team Ms Adeboyeku is used to being on call for complex referrals out of hours.

The accessability centre was the Team of the Year, due to its efforts to provide equipment for disabled people throughout Croydon as well as emergency delivery of essential items for destitute families.

The EastEnder's star did work experience at the borough's Calleydown respite care unit, which offers residential care to children aged between five and 18 who have learning disabilities.

Miss Speed's appearance at the awards gave the department a lift in the wake of the health secretary Alan Milburn's comments to a national newspaper which named and shamed the borough's social services as one of the 14 worst performing authorities over the last three years.

His comments followed a critical report into the authority's social services department which highlighted 10 key failings including the problem of child protection cases being allowed to drift.

A council spokesman said: "Lucy was brilliant and very well received by the staff. She gave a short speech thanking social services for inviting her."

November 20, 2001 09:30