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

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 difference that matters. The conversation continues after the first episode, whe…

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

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 these challenges, the team at GCC have developed a new strategy called the Target Op…

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

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 rating. In this episode Emily, who recently turned 18, explains how she has been su…

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

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 when the rules were implemented in October 2025, the option to go permanent revea…

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 ar…

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.  Ha…

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 workcampaign 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 no…

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 writ…

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 …

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 prac…