The Social Work Community Podcast

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

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the first episode of Season five of the Social Work Community Podcast! This podcast episode, especially recorded for World Social Work mont...

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

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The foundations of trauma awareness are rooted in kindness and compassion and over the last two years, adult social care practitioners at Essex County...

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

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

At the end of 2025, Hampshire County Council’s children’s services introduced a new pathway plan designed to safely support the process of...

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

06 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Introduced initially as a pilot in January 2025, the Council’s Integrated Front Door team tracks contacts and referrals using digital whiteboards th...

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

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the final segment in this three-part mini-series in collaboration with North Lincolnshire Council's Children and Families Service that explores car...

How direct work is transforming how children are supported

27 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

North East Lincolnshire's children's services received an overall good judgement in its recent Ofsted inspection with one outstanding judgement on the...

Prioritising workforce wellbeing – one council’s approach

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ensuring that practitioners have access to wellbeing support, flexible working arrangements and the chance to network with peers are all areas that No...

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

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hampshire Hive is a support network funded by Hampshire County Council, that assists fostering families across the county.In this podcast episode Hamp...

Using a relational approach to transform children's services

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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) ...

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

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

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

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this special two-part podcast you can listen to ‘Carrie’ (not her real name) explain how practitioners at Oxfordshire County Council children’...

Social work around the world: Falkland Islands

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Sharmeen Ziauddin, senior commercial editor, speaks to Nikki Murphy and Lynn Roberts all the way in the Falkland Islands - that's 8,00...

Supporting social workers to flourish in their careers

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This new three-part series, is created in collaboration with North Lincolnshire’s Children and Families Service and explores career progression, wel...

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

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hampshire Hive is a support network funded by Hampshire County Council, that assists fostering families across the county.In this podcast episode Hamp...

Social work around the world: Ghana

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As part of the ‘Social work around the world’ series, this episode features two social workers who have practised in Ghana and England.Although...

What to expect from your first job in social work

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 n...

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

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to a new three-part series, in collaboration with Hampshire County Council’s Fostering Service, called Hampshire Hive: Fostering Through a ...

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

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Social work around the world: Zimbabwe

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

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

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Senior social worker Faisa Abdirahman initially had her sights set on entering the police after gaining a BSC in criminology. However, she pivoted to...

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

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans offer advice to an international student social worker who is str...

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

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

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

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode was recorded for Refugee Week 2025. Sharmeen Ziauddin, careers editor at Community Care, speaks to Zahraa Adam and Aimee Hinton a...

Social work around the world: West Bank & Gaza

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the miniseries Social work around the world, Community Care's careers editor Sharmeen Ziauddin, speaks to Riad Arar, a social worke...

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

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

A day at Fatima Whitbread's One Voice Summit

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Career transitions: from independent domestic violence advocate to social work

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Social Work Community Podcast, senior careers editor Kirsty Ayakwah speaks to specialist domestic abuse social worker Jenifer ...

Social work around the world: Australia

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As part of the 'Social work around the world' series, this episode, hosted by careers editor Sharmeen Ziauddin, features two Australian social workers...

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

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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' s...

Social work around the world: Israel

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 li...

Social work around the world: Exploring migration to the UK

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, soc...

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

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 pr...

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

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Season Three. In this episode of the Social Work Community Podcast, senior careers editor Kirsty Ayakwah speaks to two social workers that ...

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

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to our new mini-series : ‘Ask The Experts’ where we put your career questions to three social work expertsIn this episode, hear from Dame ...

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

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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.T...

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

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A collaboration between Hampshire County Council and South Central Ambulance Service is helping to improve the quality of care for adult social worker...

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

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 re...

Christmas special🎄: A peek inside Community Care

18 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

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

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 importanc...

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

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Anti-Racist Movement (ARM) - a collective of Black female social workers, academics and allied professionals got together for its second annual co...

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

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Da...

Returning to social work after becoming a new parent

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two social workers share their experience of returning to social work from maternity leave and highlight how Essex County Council has supported their ...

Locum v Perm - what works for you?

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Podcast: locum v perm – what works for you?We ask two social workers from each side of the agency-permanent divide what has driven their career choi...

Workforce Insights: Would you work for an inadequate-rated service?

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Would you work for an inadequate-rated children's services?This episode is in collaboration with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP).In ...

Celebrating a longstanding career in social work

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As Community Care marks its 50th anniversary this year, we wanted to find out what the social work landscape was like through those decades and how th...

Do we need more men in social work?

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Season Two of The Social Work Community Podcast!In this episode we'll be discussing whether we need more male social workers. The social wo...

Season 1: Which episode was your favourite?

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Social Work Community Podcast, Kirsty Ayakwah catches up with Sharmeen Ziauddin about the episodes that launched the podcast in...

The refugee who became social worker of the year

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Social Work Community podcast, Sharmeen speaks to Omaid Badar, winner of not one but two Social Worker of the Year awards in 20...

Should social workers be on social media?

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we ask whether social workers should be on social media? Sharmeen speaks to two social workers, Yewande and Kayleigh, who are also You...

Racism in social work

31 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is about racism within social work. Sharmeen Ziauddin, assistant careers editor at Community Care, speaks to Nana and Ash, both children ...

The pros and cons of being a young social worker

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

TW: Please note there is mention of self-harm and suicidal thoughts in this episode which some listeners may find upsetting.In the second episode of t...