The Social Work Community Podcast

Community Care
Community Care
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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.

  1. Apr 21

    Supported to thrive: adult social care in Wokingham

    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 is like working in this market town west of London. Hospital discharge teams aren't often spoken about but the work social workers do is of immense importance to adults who require care after a stint at hospital. Listen to the support they get, and why they continue to choose Wokingham. If you're interested in a career at Wokingham check out current vacancies or take a look at the employer profile. 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 and TikTok to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work. For all news stories and features visit Community Care. Produced by Sharmeen Ziauddin for Community Care See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. Apr 14

    Neurodiversity belongs in social work (part 3): dyslexia

    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 about growing up with dyslexia and how she navigated the world around her.  Having been told by a teacher at school that social work may not be the best career for her, she set out to prove people wrong. As an advanced social worker who works in a serious youth violence, missing, and exploitation team within a local authority, Elizabeth shares the challenges she faces being neurodivergent. Elizabeth talks about the tools that have helped at work, and the strengths and skills she brings to the job she does. Listen to this frank and open conversation with a Gen Z social worker. 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 or on TikTok to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work. For all news stories and features visit Community Care. Produced by Sharmeen Ziauddin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. Apr 8

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

    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 diagnosed with autism and ADHD (AuADHD) in her forties.  Stacey, a social worker, has not yet disclosed her diagnosis to her colleagues. She explains why she feels unsafe to do this in her current workplace. She also describes how she always felt she was 'different' and now understands why that was. Stacey explains how having a strong sense of social justice is one of the traits many neurodiverse people have. She also talks about 'masking' which is described as a strategy used by some autistic people, consciously or unconsciously, to appear non-autistic. While this strategy can help them get by at school, work and in social situations, it can have a devastating impact on mental health, sense of self and access to an autism diagnosis (Autism.org.uk, 2026). 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 or on TikTok to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work. For all news stories and features visit Community Care. Produced by Sharmeen Ziauddin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. Mar 24

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

    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 experience in the sector and was diagnosed with dyslexia later on in life, while writing her PhD. She has recently completed research which will form part of a new book coming out this year called The Palgrave Handbook of Neuroinclusive Social Work   - it's based on her own reflections of being dyslexic and the responses of five black female dyslexic social workers who she interviewed for this research. Listen to this insightful interview with Dr Weekes where she talks about dyslexia and social work. 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 or on TikTok to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work. For all news stories and features visit Community Care. Produced by Sharmeen Ziauddin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  5. Mar 12

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

    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 experienced social worker and author of the book Social Work is Not Self-Harm.  Trigger warning: in this episode there are references to self-harm when discussing Nadine’s book ‘Social work is not self-harm’. We'd encourage you to look after yourself while listening and use supervision and peer support if it brings up anything difficult for you. During the conversation, hosted by Sharmeen Ziauddin from Community Care, Nadine reflects on the pressures of the profession, arguing that systemic issues like high case loads and productivity targets can often lead to burnout and emotional exhaustion. She introduces her "SAVY" model, which stands for Self-aware, Authentic, Valuing, and Intentional, as a framework to help practitioners reclaim their well-being and personal identity. The theme of 2026's World Social Work Day is, 'Co-Building Hope and Harmony: A Harambee Call to Unite a Divided Society'. The Kenyan concept of 'Harambee' is a Swahili word that means let's pull together or let's unite. Harambee highlights the importance of collective responsibility and community support. Drawing from her own experience, Nadine encourages social workers to set healthy boundaries and navigate their careers on their own terms to ensure they can thrive, thus ensuring they are helping their families and children in the best way possible. The Black and Asian Leadership Initiative (BALI) that Sharmeen and Nadine mention, focuses on fostering inclusive leadership and equity within the social care and education sector. It was designed and initiated by Patrick Scott, Rosemary Campbell-Stephens MBE and Meera Spillett. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  6. Feb 26

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

    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 their direct work, supervision and in shaping Essex’s practice model. Listen as practitioners Danni, Melanie Noel, Kayleigh Johnson and Claire McDermid, explain how trauma awareness is applied in practice, why showing kindness can be achieved in minutes, and why its benefits extend also to the workforce.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. Feb 19

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

    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 pre-screening tools that are child centred, family focussed and  backed by evidence to guide the journey in getting children back home to their families. In this episode, we speak to two ‘Going Home Workers’ Maharla and Tracie and senior social worker and assistant manager Sarah about how this new framework is transforming lives for children and families and creating an environment for families to view social work and social workers more positively. Read the transcript here: 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  8. Jan 6

    How digitising work in the integrated front door team has improved workforce efficiencies

    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 manual recording, freeing up more hours for practitioners to focus on their work and greater opportunities for the service to invest in the workforce.In this episode, Laura Snell, service lead for North East Lincolnshire’s Integrated Front Door in children’s services. and Sam, deputy service director within the Integrated Front Door and Safeguarding , talk about how, almost a year on, – the IFD pilot project became a reality and a valuable resource. 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    How digitising work in the integrated front door team has improved workforce efficiencies
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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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