Podcasts · Society & Culture

The Social Work Community Podcast

Community Care

62 episodes · Explicit

The Social Work Community podcast is where social workers come to discuss the key issues affecting their profession. Whether you are a student or an experienced social worker - whether you are frontline or management, this podcast is for you. You will hear direct from social workers in your community about their successes and their challenges. Follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work.

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  1. 'Spiritual attacks': Two practitioners on the unexplained incidents that drove them out of their roles

    · 1 h 00 min · S5 E10

    Two practitioners discuss cases that led to them facing intimidation and verbal abuse, undermining their mental health and ultimately causing them to leave their previous roles Separately, Anne, who was a frontline…

  2. Adult social care: the difference that matters (part two)

    · 22 min · S5 E9

    How do you measure contentment? This is one of the many questions practitioners from Gloucester County Council's (GCC) adult social care team sought to answer in part two of the podcast episode Adult social care - the…

  3. Adult social care: the difference that matters (part one)

    · 24 min · S5 E8

    This episode discusses the challenges faced by adult social care in Gloucestershire County Council (GCC), including increasing demand, complex needs, and pressure on health and social care services. In response to…

  4. Achieving transformation (part 3) - equipping young people to make the transition into adulthood

    · 23 min · S5 E7

    In the final in a three-part series from North East Lincolnshire Council, social workers from children's services explore some of the changes that contributed to a significant improvement in the authority's Ofsted…

  5. Making the transition: Three social workers discuss the unexpected benefits of moving from agency to permanent

    · 34 min · S5 E6

    Moving from agency to permanent was not initially part of the not initially part of the plan for three social workers at South Gloucestershire, when rules limiting English councils’ use of locums came into force. But…

  6. Supported to thrive: adult social care in Wokingham

    · 31 min · S5 E5

    In collaboration with Wokingham Borough Council adult social care, social workers from the hospital discharge team team tell us why they love working there. Josh, Noku and principal social worker Vicky describe what it…

  7. Neurodiversity belongs in social work (part 3): dyslexia

    · 18 min · S5 E4

    In the final instalment of the Neurodiversity belongs in social work campaign podcast miniseries, Sharmeen speaks to 26-year-old Elizabeth Glandfield about being dyslexic. Elizabeth, diagnosed in primary school, talks…

  8. Neurodiversity belongs in social work (part 2): autism and ADHD

    · 31 min · S5 E3

    In this episode of the Social Work Community Podcast, part of the Neurodiversity belongs in social work campaign miniseries, Sharmeen speaks to 'Stacey' (not her real name) talking about her experience of being…

  9. Neurodiversity belongs in social work (part 1): Black, dyslexic & female

    · 42 min · S5 E2

    In this special miniseries tied to Community Care's 'Neurodiversity belongs in social work' campaign, Sharmeen Ziauddin interviews Dr Arlene Weekes, social work professor and academic. Dr Weekes has over 35 years…

  10. Social work, burnout and racism: one practitioner’s experience

    · 36 min · S5 E1

    Welcome to the first episode of Season five of the Social Work Community Podcast! This podcast episode, especially recorded for World Social Work month/week/day, features an interview with Nadine KL Boyne, an…

  11. Showing kindness takes minutes: social workers in adult social care champion ways to be more trauma aware

    · 33 min · S4 E19

    The foundations of trauma awareness are rooted in kindness and compassion and over the last two years, adult social care practitioners at Essex County Council have been on a journey to embed values like these into…

  12. A pathway home: how one council is helping children return safely to their families

    · 43 min · S4 E18

    At the end of 2025, Hampshire County Council’s children’s services introduced a new pathway plan designed to safely support the process of children safely going home to their parents. The Going Home Pathway uses…

  13. Achieving transformation (part 2): how digitising work in the integrated front door team has improved workforce efficiencies

    · 25 min · S4 E17

    Introduced initially as a pilot in January 2025, the Council’s Integrated Front Door team tracks contacts and referrals using digital whiteboards that share live data. The new technology means an end to time-consuming…

  14. How one local authority uses a community social work approach to shape support for families and children

    · 17 min · S4 E16

    North Lincolnshire Council's children and families service is committed to working collaboratively with families through its One Family Approach practice model - an approach that uses co-production to shape support for…

  15. Achieving transformation (part 1) - how direct work is shaping support for children

    · 21 min · S4 E15

    In the first in a three-part series from North East Lincolnshire Council, social workers from children's services explore some of the changes that contributed to a significant improvement in the authority's Ofsted…

  16. Prioritising workforce wellbeing – one council’s approach

    · 19 min · S4 E14

    Ensuring that practitioners have access to wellbeing support, flexible working arrangements and the chance to network with peers are all areas that North Lincolnshire Council is committed to. In this the second…

  17. Hampshire Hive #3: what transferable skills you can bring to fostering?

    · 18 min · S4 E14

    Hampshire Hive is a support network funded by Hampshire County Council, that assists fostering families across the county. In this podcast episode Hampshire Hive foster carers Andrea, and Johnny and Hampshire Hive…

  18. Using a relational approach to transform children's services

    · 36 min · S4 E13

    Improving services for children and young people in a large rural county is no easy feat. In the summer of 2025, Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) children's services received a 'good' from Ofsted in three areas and…

  19. A social worker's view: benefits of working with pyschologists

    · 30 min · S4 E12

    This episode is part two of Oxfordshire County Council’s children’s service’s podcast talking about the benefits of having an in-house clinical team. Clinical pyschologist Dr Emmanuella Vernon is back, talking with…

  20. A mother's view: how psychologist support resolved child to parent abuse

    · 27 min · S4 E11

    In this special two-part podcast you can listen to ‘Carrie’ (not her real name) explain how practitioners at Oxfordshire County Council children’s services have helped her move from crisis-point to the point of…

  21. Social work around the world: Falkland Islands

    · 30 min · S4 E10

    In this episode Sharmeen Ziauddin, senior commercial editor, speaks to Nikki Murphy and Lynn Roberts all the way in the Falkland Islands - that's 8,000 miles away. As a British Overseas Territory (BOT), the Falklands'…

  22. Supporting social workers to flourish in their careers

    · 26 min · S4 E9

    This new three-part series, is created in collaboration with North Lincolnshire’s Children and Families Service and explores career progression, well-being and social work practice. In its most recent 2022 Ofsted…

  23. Hampshire Hive #2: exploring myths around fostering with Andrea and Johnny

    · 20 min · S4 E8

    Hampshire Hive is a support network funded by Hampshire County Council, that assists fostering families across the county. In this podcast episode Hampshire Hive foster carers Andrea and Johnny, explore some of the…

  24. Social work around the world: Ghana

    · 44 min · S4 E7

    As part of the ‘Social work around the world’ series, this episode features two social workers who have practised in Ghana and England. Although social work practice in Ghana mirrors much of what is taught in the UK, a…

  25. What to expect from your first job in social work

    · 54 min · S4 E6

    This is a special episode of our live webinar which was recorded in June 2025. Guests include Curtis Powell, podcaster and deputy team leader and two newly qualified social workers, Kai Tutton (adults) and Lashonte…

  26. Hampshire Hive #1: a fostering support network - a conversation with Amy and Johnny

    · 15 min · S4 E5

    Welcome to a new three-part series, in collaboration with Hampshire County Council’s Fostering Service, called Hampshire Hive: Fostering Through a Community of Families. Hampshire Hive is a network established by…

  27. #9 Ask The Experts: I am scared to go back into frontline work

    · 18 min · S4 E4

    In this episode, Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans offer advice to an experienced social worker who is looking for a role that offers career progression opportunities after going through…

  28. Social work around the world: Zimbabwe

    · 51 min · S4 E3

    This is another episode from the Social work around the world series! This month the focus is on Zimbabwe. Sharmeen Ziauddin speaks to Theresa Kambani and Weston Mudimu about their careers as social workers in Zimbabwe…

  29. Career Transitions: From considering a career with the police to children's social worker

    · 29 min · S4 E2

    Senior social worker Faisa Abdirahman initially had her sights set on entering the police after gaining a BSC in criminology. However, she pivoted to social work after learning that looked after children were at more…

  30. #8 Ask The Experts: 'Help! I am struggling with my ASYE'

    · 15 min · S4 E1

    In this episode, Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans offer advice to an international student social worker who is struggling with aligning her expectations about social work with the…

  31. #7 Ask The Experts: How do I transition from adults' to children's services?

    · 21 min · S3 E12

    Are you an adults’ social worker who is considering moving into children’s social work but don’t know how to make the transition? In this episode, hear from Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose…

  32. 'War is all they've known': working with unaccompanied children

    · 59 min · S3 E11 · Explicit

    This special episode was recorded for Refugee Week 2025. Sharmeen Ziauddin, careers editor at Community Care, speaks to Zahraa Adam and Aimee Hinton about their work with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).…

  33. Social work around the world: West Bank & Gaza

    · 29 min · S3 E10

    In this episode of the miniseries Social work around the world, Community Care's careers editor Sharmeen Ziauddin, speaks to Riad Arar, a social worker from Hebron, a city south of Jerusalem, in the occupied West Bank,…

  34. #6 Ask The Experts: How do you go about recovering confidence after a placement breakdown?

    · 11 min · S3 E9

    In this episode, hear from Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans respond to a question we received asking how to secure a new job after receiving a negative reference, and where to access…

  35. A day at Fatima Whitbread's One Voice Summit

    · 22 min · S3 E8

    Listen to Sharmeen Ziauddin's (career editor at Community Care) report from the One Voice Summit which was held at the London Guildhall on 24 & 25 April 2025. The summit, was organised by Olympian Fatima Whitbread’s…

  36. Career transitions: from independent domestic violence advocate to social work

    · 37 min · S3 E7

    In this episode of the Social Work Community Podcast, senior careers editor Kirsty Ayakwah speaks to specialist domestic abuse social worker Jenifer Lamadrid who started her career as an Independent Domestic Violence…

  37. Social work around the world: Australia

    · 36 min · S3 E6

    As part of the 'Social work around the world' series, this episode, hosted by careers editor Sharmeen Ziauddin, features two Australian social workers, who have practised in Australia and in England. Kristin, worked in…

  38. #5 Ask The Experts: How do I secure a role working with refugees or co-ordinating disaster relief?

    · 13 min · S3 E5

    In this episode, hear from Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans respond to a question we received asking how an adults' social worker can secure a role working with refugees or…

  39. Social work around the world: Israel

    · 22 min · S3 E4

    This is the second part of our conversation with Yohai Hakak, senior social work lecturer and MSc lead at Brunel University, London. If you haven't listened to the previous episode then do go back and have a listen!…

  40. Social work around the world: Exploring migration to the UK

    · 33 min · S3 E3

    Welcome to the first episode of the new miniseries "Social Work Around The World" from the The Social Work Community Podcast. In the first episode, social work senior lecturer and MSc lead from Brunel University Yohai…

  41. #4 Ask The Experts: What are the pros and cons of working in a local authority versus a trust?

    · 24 min · S3 E2

    In this episode, hear from Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans respond to a question we received asking: what are the pros and cons of working in a local authority versus a trust? This…

  42. Career transitions: From law to social work – the experiences of two practitioners

    · 33 min · S3 E1

    Welcome to Season Three. In this episode of the Social Work Community Podcast, senior careers editor Kirsty Ayakwah speaks to two social workers that started their careers in a different profession altogether. Monisola…

  43. #3 Ask The Experts: How to secure a new job after receiving a negative reference

    · 18 min · S2 E13

    Welcome to our new mini-series : ‘Ask The Experts’ where we put your career questions to three social work experts In this episode, hear from Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans respond to…

  44. From Community Care Live: How to co-create inclusive environments in adult social care

    · 1 h 02 min · S2 E12

    We are back with another live episode – this time from adult social care at Wiltshire Council. The session took place at Community Care Live 2024. This is a really special episode where you will hear direct from an…

  45. Workforce Insights: Helping older adults avoid unnecessary journeys to the hospital

    · 28 min · S2 E11

    A collaboration between Hampshire County Council and South Central Ambulance Service is helping to improve the quality of care for adult social workers that would otherwise be transported to hospital. Hampshire County…

  46. #2 Ask the Experts: I've lost motivation for my job in child exploitation, what can I do?

    · 19 min · S2 E10

    Welcome to the second episode of the new mini-series, 'Ask the Experts'. In this series our panel of experts will be answering questions sent in by readers. Our experts are Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and…

  47. Christmas special🎄: A peek inside Community Care

    · 30 min · S2 E9

    It's that time of year🎄! And to celebrate we recorded a Christmas special for The Social Work Community Podcast! The social work sector and face of Community Care, have both changed a lot over the last 50 years. As it…

  48. From Community Care Live: The legacy and impact of life story from a parent’s perspective

    · 57 min · S2 E8

    This is a special episode which was recorded live at Community Care Live 2024. In this thought-provoking and session, you will hear about the importance of a parent’s journey while considering their own child’s life…

  49. Bonus Episode: My day at the Anti-Racist Movement conference

    · 13 min · S2 E7 · Bonus

    The Anti-Racist Movement (ARM) - a collective of Black female social workers, academics and allied professionals got together for its second annual conference in London in November 2024 - it was ARM's second…

  50. 1# Ask the Experts: Why don’t I get invited for interviews?

    · 20 min · S2 E6

    Welcome to our new mini-series : ‘Ask The Experts’ where we put your career questions to three social work experts. In this episode, hear from Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans respond…

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