Episodes

  • Season 1 Episode 6: Authentic leadership skills - feedback, trust and psychological safety

    Season 1 Episode 6: Authentic leadership skills - feedback, trust and psychological safety
    Jun 27 2025
    This episode focuses on leadership skills and style - in particular the crucial role of feedback which can sometimes be seen as mainly about staff performance and a less comfortable or even fear-inducing aspect of any kind of leadership or supervisory role.

    Our guests today are keen to discuss and demonstrate how feedback is a much broader part of developing your own leadership style and something that can help build trust, transparency and supportive culture in your team or particular context.

    They share examples from their own experience to help pracitioners, supervisors and managers at all stages think about developing their own leadership.

    This epsisode is part of our leadership knowledge and practice hub on CC Inform Children which has been produced with Frontline, that charity that is perhaps most known for its fast-track local-authority based training programme for new child protection social workers, but also runs leadership development programmes for managers and those aspiring to be managers in children’s services.

    The speakers are:
    Anjuli Obaro, curriculum lead at Frontline
    Delin Dixon, independent social worker, experienced foster carer, consultant and trainer
    Yinka Olaniran, service manager for a local authority independent reviewing and child protection conference service, and facilitator

    Further links:
    Radical Candor In 6 Minutes With Kim Scott (YouTube video)
    Radical Candor (book)
    CC Inform leadership knowledge and practice hub
    CC Inform Management knowledge and practice hub
    CC Inform Supervision knowledge and practice hub
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • Addressing the risks of exploitation for children with SEND

    Addressing the risks of exploitation for children with SEND
    May 30 2025
    Season 1, episode 5.

    This episode is about how to safeguard children with special educational needs and disabilities from sexual exploitation. We’ll be discussing recent research and findings related to modern slavery and the heightened risk that children with SEND are at across England and Wales, as well as the importance of early identification and working with the whole family.

    Our expert guest is Sarah Goff – associate researcher at Manchester Metropolitan university.

    Questions are asked by Gillian MacFarlane, content editor, Community Care Inform Childrens.

    Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast.

    Subscribe to the Learn on the go series to stay up-to-date with new episodes. Look out for the next episode in Season 1, which will be released at the end of June.

    Meanwhile, you can join Community Care's Social Work Community for careers guidance, private discussion rooms with fellow social workers and even more podcast episodes.

    Resources
    Research study - Internal trafficking of children with SEND
    Research stufy - Early identification of exploitation of children with SEND
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Dealing with change and loss after becoming disabled as an adult

    Dealing with change and loss after becoming disabled as an adult
    Apr 15 2025
    Season 1, episode 4

    This episode focuses on dealing with change and loss as a result of becoming physically disabled as an adult, and how practitioners can support individuals who are coming to terms with the impact of disability on their body and their lives.

    The guest is Rebecca Regler, a lived experience worker. Rebecca qualified as a social worker 10 years ago but didn’t get the chance to put her training into practice because soon after graduating she was diagnosed with the connective tissue disorder Ehlers Danlos syndrome, which left her unable to work.

    Rebecca discusses the emotional impact that can occur from unexpectedly becoming disabled as an adult; how it can affect mental health; the loss of identity, including professional identity and how someone perceives themselves within relationships; the financial implications; and how social care professionals can provide support and advocacy to help adults at such a difficult time.

    Questions are asked by Natalie Valios, senior content editor, Community Care Inform Adults.

    Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast: ADD LINK HERE

    Subscribe to the Learn on the go series to stay up-to-date with new episodes. Look out for the next episode in Season 1, which will be released at the end of May.

    Meanwhile, you can join Community Care's Social Work Community for careers guidance, private discussion rooms with fellow social workers and even more podcast episodes.
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • Season 1 Episode 3: Perinatal mental health

    Season 1 Episode 3: Perinatal mental health
    Mar 28 2025
    This episode discusses perinatal mental health. Approximately one in five women in the UK experience mental health issues during pregnancy and up to one year after birth, and if left untreated they can lead to long-lasting effects on mothers, infants and the wider family.

    In recent years, significant funding has been invested in specialist perinatal mental health services but there are disparities in access to these services and experiences with health and social care professionals.

    This episode explores the role of social workers in perinatal mental health, the risk factors of developing perinatal mental illness and the red flags to look out for that may indicate a new or expectant mother is struggling with perinatal mental health issues.

    The guests are Tara Mitchell, a registered social worker and operations manager of the perinatal mental health service at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and Wan Abdullah, a mother with lived experience of perinatal mental illness.

    Asking the questions is Gemma Balmford, assistant content editor, Community Care Inform Adults.

    Subscribe to the Learn on the go series to stay up-to-date with new episodes. Look out for the next episode in Season 1, which will be released at the end of April.

    Links

    Royal College of Psychiatrists
    MBRRACE-UK
    Tavistock and Portman
    The perinatal mental health elearning programme
    Maternal Mental Health Alliance
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • Season 1 Episode 2: Domestic abuse in young people's relationships

    Season 1 Episode 2: Domestic abuse in young people's relationships
    Feb 28 2025
    This episode discusses domestic abuse within young people's relationships. It explores the intricicies around age and statutory and voluntary support services available for young people. This episode provides practical tips on how practitioners can address risks with young people and their parents/carers - such as how to structure conversations, and the key indicators of risks that shoud be considered when working with young people who are at risk of, or who have experienced abuse. Multiple assessment tools are discussed, along with various specialist services.

    The guest is Jenifer Lamadrid, an experienced social worker, who has been trianed within domestic violence and abuse services. Jenifer has previously worked as an IDVA (independent domestic violence advocate), and has a key interest in working with young people at risk of, or who have experienced, abuse.

    Asking the questions is Gillian MacFarlane, content editor, Community Care Inform Childrens.

    Assessment tools and specialist services mentioned:

    Safe Lives

    Brook Sexual Behaviours Traffic Light Tool

    BAMBUUU

    Respect Young People's Service

    Women's Aid

    Victim Support - Support Space

    Subscribe to the Learn on the Go series to stay up-to-date with new episodes. Look out for the next episode in Season 1, which will be released at the end of April.

    Join Community Care's 'Social Work Community' for careers guidance, private discussion rooms with fellow social workers and even more podcast episodes.
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
  • Season 1 Episode 1: Mental capacity and suicide

    Season 1 Episode 1: Mental capacity and suicide
    Jan 28 2025
    This episode discusses the issues around mental capacity and suicide, and what has been called the ‘you’ve got capacity to choose to kill yourself phenomenon’.

    The guest is Alex Ruck Keene, an experienced barrister, writer and educator. His practice at 39 Essex Chambers is focused on mental capacity, mental health and healthcare law, in which he has appeared in cases at all levels up to and including The Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.Alex is the creator of the website Mental Capacity Law and Policy, which provides resources and expert commentary on some of the most difficult mental capacity issues.In March 2022, Alex was made an honorary KC, reflecting his contributions to mental capacity and mental health law outside the court room.

    Asking the questions is Natalie Valios, senior content editor, Community Care Inform Adults.

    We’d encourage you to look after yourself while listening and use supervision and peer support if this brings up anything difficult for you.And if you’ve been affected by this episode, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Domestic violence and abuse - risk assessment and referral practice guidance

    Domestic violence and abuse - risk assessment and referral practice guidance
    Oct 31 2024
    This episode of Learn on the go is about domestic violence and abuse. It covers what domestic violence and abuse is; the various forms it can take, and how to risk assess and make referrals. This episode explores a domestic violence risk assessment tool called the CAADA DASH, as well as the purpose and importance of multi-agency risk assessment conferences known as MARAC, and how these are used to bring professionals together to support victims of domestic abuse. The expert guest is Jenifer Lamadrid, a senior social worker for a London borough where she also serves as a MARAC representative for children’s social services. Jen mentions she has worked as an IDVA. This is an independent domestic violence advocate, someone who supports victims and is separate from police and social services. The questions were asked by Gillian MacFarlane, content editor at Community Care Inform.
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • The emotional impact of 'contact': Ethan's experience and suggestions for professionals

    The emotional impact of 'contact': Ethan's experience and suggestions for professionals
    Jun 14 2024
    Ethan’s in his early 30s now. He was in foster care from the age of five and then in children’s homes from the age of 11. In this conversation we speak about staying in touch with and seeing family members while in care.

    You'll hear the word ‘contact’ quite a bit - the word that was very much in use when Ethan was young. We hope this makes sense when you listen, while we know practitioners today increasingly recognise the importance of using language that suits the individual child, whether that’s 'family time' or something else.

    Ethan speaks about his experiences of different types of ‘contact’ – including visiting his parents in jail, supervised sessions with his grandparents and siblings, goodbye meetings with other siblings who were adopted, and unsupervised time with his parents as he got older.

    He shares his thoughts on how professionals can support children and young people with the complexity of wanting and valuing connection with family, while dealing with what can be its extremely challenging emotional impact.

    Ethan was speaking to Joanna Silman, senior content editor at Community Care Inform Children.

    Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast here: https://www.ccinform.co.uk/practice-guidance/podcast-transcript-the-emotional-impact-of-contact-ethans-experience/

    You can watch the video interview Ethan did with Jenny Molloy spoke about his experience of being taken into care, and the social workers who made the biggest difference to his life here: https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/10/26/choose-social-work-they-helped-me-escape-the-life-i-was-living-as-a-teenager/

    Ethan believes strongly in the importance of sharing lived experience of different aspects of being a child in care to help improve practice with young people today and speaks at training events for social workers and other professionals. If you would like to get in touch with Ethan, please email ccinformhelpdesk@markallengroup.com and we can pass a message on.
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins