Care to chat? A podcast from the Northern Ireland Social Care Council

In previous episodes we have followed the conception of the Care in Practice Framework (the CiP Framework), and the introduction of a brand-new level 2 qualification: Level 2 Certificate in Safe and Effective Practice. Much work across the sector has meant that this area of social care workforce reform is now showing the impact of these changes. Finding a passion in social care as a career is some...

What are the next generation of homecare services going to look like and how homecare support people in communities to thrive at home? These questions and more are addressed in this episode of ‘Care to Chat’ as part of an important discussion to have right now as the population in Northern Ireland ages, requiring more complex care in the community and more families are facing the reality of a love...

Tune in on Wednesday 27 May 2026 for the launch of the fourth season of our popular Social Care Council ‘Care to chat’ podcast with Dr Wendy Austin MBE returning as host to help tell stories important to the social work and social care workforce. We start with a special episode focused on what it means to be a trauma-informed organisation with participants who have had different trauma-informed ap...

The 2025 ‘Care to chat?’ podcast concludes with a very special story. One area of social work practice we don’t often hear about is community development.   We hear in the news about ethnic minorities, people seeking asylum and migrants in our communities – but there are real people behind these stories and it’s important to hear and really listen to what they have to say.  Host Dr Wendy Austin MB...

The nature of social work practice is challenging and complex, therefore it is important to support professional development. So what does this look like in Northern Ireland?  One of the reasons the Care to chat podcast began was to make content that helps inform, educate and develop social workers and social care practitioners. This episode focusses on social workers and their learning and develo...

Would you like to do something that makes a difference? Research is certainly one option you could consider. But what is social work and social care research and why is it important? In this episode in the ‘Care to chat’ 2025 podcast series, a panel of experts have a lively conversation about how social workers and social care practitioners can build and maintain an evidence base to support their...

Continuous professional learning and development is crucial in social work and social care to ensure practitioners maintain competency, adapt to evolving knowledge and best practices, progress in their careers and deliver effective services and better outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.   This podcast focusses on the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s Learning Zone , which is...

Maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health is vital for everyone, but it’s particularly important for those working in caring professions, like social workers, who are often called upon to be resilient. Developing mindfulness, accessing support and selfcare practice is essential for preventing professional burnout for social workers. Does there need to be a cultural change in the social wo...

Racism is never acceptable in any form and when we hear about it happening to those people who support the most vulnerable in our community, it seems all the more appalling. Why do we need a diverse social work and social care workforce, and how can we ensure we protect those who are part of it? These are some of the big questions guiding this episode of the Care to Chat podcast.    In this captiv...

Home is where the heart is. That is no truer than during this week’s podcast. Would you have associated a housing association with social care services? Dr Wendy Austin MBE guides the conversation in this episode to cover a variety of perspectives and insights into the world of supported living, disability housing and social care. She covers topics like…what is supported living? Why is it importan...

The professionals who work in social care come from a wide range of backgrounds and work in a range of different settings which can be challenging and demanding. It is also true to say that there is an increasing complexity in the needs of the people they support. This means ensuring there is a well-led, skilled and valued social care workforce in place, is even more important. In this week’s ‘Car...

No two carers are the same or are the needs of any one person receiving care the same.    Following on from the launch of the ‘Social Care – Making a difference’ campaign launch last week during Carers week (9-15 June) , on the latest episode of the ‘Care to chat?’ podcast, we are privileged to have an authentic conversation piecing together the experience of carers and social care.  We welcome Ge...

How can a social work student gain a rich learning experience? And what role do social workers play in training tomorrow's social work professionals? In this week’s ‘Care to chat?’ podcast we hear about this from Dr Denise McDermott, Subject Lead in Social Work, Ulster University, Sarah McCarthy Practice Teacher and social worker with Extern, Ellen Neill a social worker with the South Eastern...

Tune in on Wednesday 21 May 2025 for the launch of the third season of our popular Social Care Council ‘Care to chat’ podcast with Dr Wendy Austin MBE returning as host to help tell stories important to the social work and social care workforce.    Ever feel a bit forgetful? In our first episode of 2025, we delve into the world of dementia care and memory services and involves input from social wo...

Helping children and young people thrive – as they say it can take a village. In this final episode in the ‘Care to chat’ 2024 podcast series we are talking childhood development and sharing practical advice and ideas for supporting children and young people to improve outcomes for them and their families. In particular a number of resources available on the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s...

Like other professions, in social care the recruitment process is not just about getting a person for a vacancy – the person has to have the right values to work in social care and to match with the organisation they are going to work for.  So, what is value-based recruitment in social care and why is it important? And what does good retention look like in practice?  If you are an employer that ha...

In our latest ‘Care to chat?’ podcast, discover how to get into social work as a career in Northern Ireland and learn more about the qualifications, skills and experience you'll need.   Our panel of experts explain from their own experiences why they decided to embark on a social work career and what they love about it. They tell us that there is ‘more than one chance’ or pathway into social w...

The criminal justice system is complex and can be a difficult thing for the public to understand if they have not had first-hand experience of it. Therefore, it is understandable that the role of social work practice in the justice sector is similarly not well understood.  This week’s podcast sees host Dr Wendy Austin MBE, sit down with two social workers who practice in the justice sector. Guests...

When thinking of a lifelong, exciting and fulfilling career in healthcare, social care may not be the first profession that comes to the mind of many. However, social care is currently going through a process of redefining career pathways in the profession and many working in social care know it is just as an exciting and important job-for-life prospect as other areas of the integrated health syst...

In this captivating episode titled “‘We are one of you – working together as part of Team HSC’, we welcome inspiring social care leaders to discuss social care as a profession supporting the effective delivery of the health and social care system in Northern Ireland. Join us as we delve into the heart of the public and community’s understanding and misunderstanding of social care, why it’s importa...

A new episode of ‘Care to chat’ is now available. This time around we have a special conversation which shows a very different area of social care – social support – and demonstrates how special relationships can be for those that access support at a crucial time and those that give it. Host Dr Wendy Austin MBE is joined by Teresa Miles, Social Care Manager, Belfast Central Mission, and her staff...

Working in partnership with people who user services and their families or carers is an important way to influence positive change. In this week’s ‘Care to chat?’ podcast we hear from members of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s Participation Partnership which consists of people who use services and carers from a range of backgrounds and experiences. Members of the Participation Partnersh...

On the latest episode of ‘Care to chat?’ podcast, we welcome the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s (the Social Care Council) Head of Fitness to Practise, Helen McVicker. Helen sits down with our host Dr Wendy Austin MBE, to talk about the role and challenges of regulating social care workers and social workers, when it comes to protecting the public. They speak about fitness to practise which...

This week is Loneliness Awareness week, so our next Care to Chat episode is a worthwhile listen. This year’s theme, ‘Random Acts of Connection’, encourages everyone to increase simple, everyday moments of connection which can help us build relationships with others and feel happier and less lonely. Loneliness is a significant problem in our communities and often arises from complex and multifacete...

In our first episode of 2024, we focus on social work and leadership. There is a big conversation going on across the social work profession, around the Social Work Leadership Framework, a framework to help shape how leadership applies to social workers in Northern Ireland and how it makes a positive impact on their practice. This episode features Aine Morrison, Chief Social Worker, Department of...