Welcome to Let’s Talk Social Work, the podcast from the British Association of Social Workers. This is a space for conversation—discussion with social workers, the individuals they support, and colleagues working in related professions. We consider the key matters affecting social workers as we explore contemporary issues with a focus at both the local and global levels.
The views expressed in this podcast are not necessarily those of the Association.
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Social workers frequently come into contact with dogs in their practice. Yet until now, it hasn't featured in social work research, education, training and guidance. A recent study published in the British Journal of Social Work entitled ‘ We’re not professionals when it comes to dogs: ’ Social work encounters with dogs and their implications for education and practice sets out to address this omission. The research examines the risks and complexities that social workers might be faced with when...
After 93 episodes, Andy McClenaghan is moving on from hosting Let’s Talk Social Work . Following a short break, the podcast will return in the autumn and will be hosted by BASW’s Jonny Adamson. In this episode, Andy is joined by Jonny to discuss the past four and a half years making Let’s Talk Social Work . They explore standout episodes, key learning points, topics that Andy didn’t get to cover, and what big issues might feature on the podcast over the coming years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...
This special episode has been made to celebrate World Social Work Day 2025, the theme of which is ‘Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Enduring Wellbeing’. Andy McClenaghan is joined by Professor Cecilia Bailliet, United Nations Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, and friend of the podcast Janet Walker, Professor Emeritus of International Social Work at the University of Lincoln and Chair of the British Association of Social Workers International Committee...
In episode 91 Andy McClenaghan is joined by Abigail Gagen, Emily Hindle and Angie Button to discuss how dementia affects people’s lives and explore how social workers and social care workers can meet the needs of people with dementia and their families. Emily is Policy Manager with the Alzheimer’s Society and Abi is a social worker who works as a Team Manager at North Yorkshire Council and is also a member of BASW England’s Adults Social Work Thematic Group. Angie is Operational Social Work Lead...
In the first episode of Let’s Talk Social Work of 2025 Andy McClenaghan is joined by Chair of the British Association of Social Workers, Julia Ross, Chair of BASW’s Policy Ethics and Human Rights Committee, Annie Ho and Co-Chair of the Association of Palliative Care Social Workers, Glynis Berry to discuss the potential change in the law for England and Wales which would legally permit people to seek assistance to end their own lives. On 16 October 2024, the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater presented the...
In this episode, made to mark Human Rights Day 2024, Andy and his guests explore the issue of brain injury and how social workers can best support people with a brain injury to ensure their rights are upheld. Social workers who work with individuals affected by brain injury need to have a clear understanding of the condition in order to provide effective support. This includes recognising the medical, psychological, social, and legal implications of brain injury, as well as the ways in which it ...
The UK is a richly diverse society and social workers will frequently work with children, families and individuals whose cultural heritage differs from their own. As we have discussed many times on the podcast, social work is a relationship-based profession and it is difficult to form good relationships without being open to understand the values and traditions which shape another person’s worldview and approach to life. It's also important to recognise that social workers and social work studen...
Andy and guests explore AI's role in social work, discussing tools like Magic Notes for practice, virtual reality simulations for education, and predictive analytics for care. They critically examine ethical challenges such as data bias, privacy, and the impact of AI on human connection, emphasizing the need for social workers to engage with and shape this rapidly evolving technology.
In our first episode back after the summer break we discuss the experiences of Indigenous People, exploring issues of resilience and social justice and examining lessons for social work. Helping Andy to explore this incredibly important issue are Professor Hilary Weaver and Professor Janet Walker. Hilary is Professor Emeritus of Social Work at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work, the Indigenous Commissioner for the International Federation of Social Workers, and the Board Chair of th...
In the last episode of the podcast before we take a break for the summer, Andy and guests have an opportunity to reflect on the outcome of the UK general election and explore what the changed political landscape will mean for adult social care in England, reflecting on potential impacts for social workers and people who use services. Andy is joined by Vice Chair of BASW England and Co-Chair of its Adult Thematic Group, Jackie Mahoney, BASW UK Council member and Expert by Experience, Mark Lynes, ...
In this episode, number 84 in our series, Andy McClenaghan and guests discuss Operation Encompass—a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse. Andy is joined by founders of Operation Encompass, David Carney-Haworth OBE and Elisabeth Carney-Haworth OBE, and social worker James Draper. James is Designated Officer for Child Protection at the Northern Ireland Education Authority. Together they e...
In this episode we explore reflective supervision—what it is, how it can benefit social workers by improving their wellbeing and job satisfaction, and ultimately, how it can improve practice. The Social Workers Union, in partnership with Buckinghamshire New University has recently published a best practice guide on reflective supervision which you can access here . John McGowan, General Secretary of the Social Workers Union, Professor Jermaine Ravalier from Buckinghamshire New University, and So...
Andy is joined by Bekah Pierre and Alice Spencer to discuss the wonderful anthology— Free Loaves on Fridays . Free Loaves on Fridays is a collection of stories and essays, poems, reflections and open letters, detailing the lives of care experienced people. It is a special work—bursting with humanity. As diverse as the experiences of its contributors, the anthology viscerally details pain and trauma, while celebrating the life changing impacts of love and acceptance in foster and adoptive familie...
School social work is long established in the USA but in its infancy in Northern Ireland. This episode examines the nature of school social work with a view to learning from the discipline in the United States and exploring how this understanding can be applied to the emerging practice in Northern Ireland. Andy is joined by Robert Lucio, Associate Professor and Online Program Director at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Social Work, Chair of the NASW School Social Work Section ...
Following our last episode exploring the BASW UK General Election Manifesto, we examine the issue of poverty and what needs to change to improve the circumstances of millions of people across the UK. Comprising two sections, first Andy is joined by friend of the podcast, social worker and anti-poverty campaigner, Dominic Watters, and Director of Policy, Research and Impact at the Trussell Trust, Helen Barnard. They discuss the scale of foodbank use across the UK and consider the specific challen...
A general election is coming. When it will be, no one is quite sure, but what we do know is what needs to change to improve situations for social workers and the people who use social work services. This is the focus of this episode of Let’s Talk Social Work as Andy McClenaghan and guests discuss the asks outlined in the British Association of Social Workers 2024 General Election Manifesto . Joining Andy are Kerri Prince, BASW’s Public and Political Affairs Lead, and Martin Sexton, outgoing Chai...
With independence comes opportunities as well as risks. Andy McClenaghan is joined by Independent social workers Michelle Strain, Jo Fox and Gareth McGibbon to explore the benefits as well as the costs of stepping out and practicing as an Independent social worker. They discuss the variety of roles Independent social workers undertake, how to maintain a healthy work life balance when you are your own boss, the challenges of marketing yourself, how to ensure sufficient peer support, and keeping u...
A first for Let’s Talk Social Work , Andy McClenaghan and guests discuss the benefits of coaching in social work. The conversation explores what coaching is and how engaging in coaching can be an opportunity to receive support and guidance, develop skills and navigate career paths, and how it is a helpful way to engage in self-reflection. As well as looking at what coaching is, the discussion examines what it isn’t, exploring how it differs from counselling or psychotherapy. The episode also exp...
“If health has stopped improving it is a sign that society has stopped improving.” These are the words of Professor Sir Michael Marmot in the report Health Equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 Years on . In this special episode of Let’s Talk Social Work , made to celebrate World Social Work Day 2024, Andy McClenaghan and guests, Sir Michael Marmot and Dr Ruth Allen, explore how poverty, inequality and social disadvantage impact health outcomes, life expectancy and quality of life. Sir Michael...
Dignity, respect, empowerment: adult safeguarding explored with Dr Jeremy Dixon Episode 75 of Let’s Talk Social Work explores adult safeguarding—the policies, procedures, and practices aimed at protecting adults who may be at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. This is work guided by principles of dignity, respect, and empowerment and social workers play a crucial role in identifying, assessing, and responding to concerns about the safety and well-being of adults who may be experiencing har...
This episode explores social work and government policy in Wales. That’s not unusual for Let’s Talk Social Work , but what is a little different is that we will be considering these issues with the focus placed on an individual and the role they have played in shaping both. Since 2018 the Welsh Government has been led by Mark Drakeford. A former social worker and social policy academic, Mr Drakeford held the posts of Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Minister for Health and Social Services befor...
This episode of the podcast features discussion of issues that may cause distress, including sexual harm and abuse by siblings, and listener discretion is advised. In this episode, Andy is joined by social worker Anna Glinski, Deputy Director for Knowledge & Practice Development at the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse. They discuss the challenging issue of sibling sexual behaviour and explore how social workers should respond to instances of inappropriate, problematic and abusive se...
The first episode of Let’s Talk Social Work of 2024 explores a fantastic, coproduced training project run by the Western Health and Social Care Trust which equips social workers to better support families affected by addiction. The discussion examines the effects addiction has on families and overviews the first-hand impacts that social work involvement can have when a parent is struggling with addiction. The episode also addresses why a service user-led approach is critical to increasing unders...
In this episode, made to mark Human Rights Day, we’re examining a really fascinating subject—the Promote the Vote project. The project helps social workers support people with learning disabilities to make use of their right to vote. Despite the UK being a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities—Article 29 of which ensures the right for disabled people to vote—barriers remain which can prevent people from exercising this right. Joining Andy to discuss how Promot...
This episode explores the findings of the Social Work with Older People research project led by the University of Birmingham and the University of Bristol. The project has sought to examine the role social workers play in supporting older people, carers, and families to transform situations. It looks at the barriers which can impede the delivery of high quality and effective services and outlines a series of recommendations concerning how social work can better meet the needs of older people. Jo...
This episode is a break from the norm. It doesn’t explore an area of practice, a social policy issue or a campaign. Rather, it is a discussion of a life in social work. The life in question is that of Patrick O’Dea who earlier this year published his memoir— I who had it figured out . The book charts Patrick’s upbringing in 1950s Dublin, his years as a social work student at Trinity College, his beginnings in youth and community work and a career in probation. It comes full circle to overview Pa...
What does it look like when experts by experience are fully involved in shaping and informing social work education? What does the role entail? How can universities avoid tokenism and ensure meaningful engagement? What are the benefits for social work students, people who use services and the experts by experience themselves? To address these questions and many more, host, Andy McClenaghan is joined by Rebecca Regler who earlier this year wrote in the British Journal of Social Work about her jou...
Social work is a demanding role and even under the best of circumstances, as social workers support individuals to improve life opportunities, they will face difficulties and stresses associated with their work. Andy McClenaghan is joined by Dr Jennifer Simpson and Sam Pulman to explore the theme of resilience in social work. Jennifer is Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Course Leader for MA Advanced Social Work at Nottingham Trent University and Sam previously worked as a frontline social work...
Episode 66 of Let’s Talk Social Work examines a subject which previously hasn’t been explored on the podcast. The discussion focuses on self-neglect—what it is, the ways in which it affects people and how social workers can respond. We look at how the social work approach to supporting people who self-neglect has changed over the years, the duties placed on Local Authorities in relation to self-neglect by the Care Act and how these requirements must be balanced with each individual’s human right...
This episode of Let’s Talk Social Work explores the incredibly important topic of the age assessment of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Immigration policy is in the news almost daily at present and ensuring that the needs of children seeking asylum in the UK are met underscores the vital importance of the age assessment process. Andy McClenaghan is joined by Jo Schofield, Director of Immigration Social Work Services and BASW’s Public and Political Affairs Lead, Kerri Prince to discuss the...
