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

In this final episode in the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s ‘Care to chat’ 2023 podcast series hosted by Dr Wendy Austin MBE, we are taking another look at social work and human rights specifically in the context of children’s safeguarding and young people in care. Experienced professionals contribute to the discussion including Jane Hynes, Senior Social Worker, Learning and Improvement Te...

Our new ‘Care to chat’ podcast episode focusses again on leadership – which is a crucial part of how we get health and social care right. This time we are looking at it from within the profession of social work. Leadership from within social work is even more important given the diverse area of support social workers provide for individuals, families and communities. In this episode the social wor...

On the latest episode of ‘Care to chat?’ podcast, we welcome the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s Senior Leadership Team to talk about the role of the Social Care Council, and the value of regulation for social workers and social care workers and most importantly for people receiving care and support. As the Social Care Council reaches the end of its 21st year, Dr Wendy Austin MBE is joined...

On the latest episode of ‘Care to chat?’, a podcast from the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’, tackles the topic of ‘Compassionate leadership’ and why this is so important right now. Prof. Michael West, CBE Professor of Work and Organisational Psychology at Lancaster University, contributes alongside senior leaders from across health and social care in Northern Ireland who are working on your...

Here’s a question – what do you think of having social workers based in schools? In the latest episode of the Social Care Council’s ‘Care to chat’ podcast Dr Wendy Austin MBE and guest discuss this relatively new specialist area of social work practice in Northern Ireland which is providing a unique support service to students. We hear from Principal of Abbey College, Maria Quinn, Dylan Sloan a so...

Northern Ireland has changed a great over the last 25 years, and as the Good Friday Agreement reaches that milestone, it is timely that we look at the social care and social work workforce as part of a diversity and inclusive workforce across Northern Ireland. In the latest ‘Care to chat’ podcast episode, you can hear reflections about what equality, diversity and inclusion mean to the social care...

What does human rights social work mean for both service users, their families and for social workers themselves in practice? In the latest ‘Care to chat’ podcast episode, tune in to hear from Dr Nazia Latif, who has worked with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and how runs her own organisation, Right Practice , that provides advice to help organisations meet their equality and human r...

Social care workers are the largest professional health and social care workforce in Northern Ireland. In the latest ‘Care to chat’ podcast episode, tune in to hear from Paul Rooney, a Professional Advisor at the Social Care Council and Elaine Somerville, Assistant Director of Social Work from the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. They join Dr Wendy Austin MBE to talk about social care w...

Those who know best about the difference that social care makes are the people who receive it. In the latest episode of ‘Care to Chat’ we hear from 11-year-old Cillin and his mum Trisha from Enniskillen who are supported by Rhonda Knox, a Community Support Worker from Positive Futures. Dr Wendy Austin discusses how they work together to ensure Cillin continues to develop and grow to his full poten...

Everyone’s journey into working in social care is different. None more so that Dr Wendy Austin’s latest guest Issadin Ahmed. In a new episode of the Social Care Council ‘Care to chat’, we hear about Issadin’s story, as a young 28-year-old Somalian asylum seeker who recently gained his first role in social care through a pilot collaboration between the Social Care Council and Princes Trust, encoura...

Did you watch ‘Blue Lights’ on the BBC like the rest of us? Ever wonder what was the inspiration behind giving the main character and ‘beating heart of the show’, rookie PSNI Officer Grace, a background in social work. To find out tune in for the latest episode from the Social Care Council’s podcast series ‘Care to chat’. Our host Dr Wendy Austin speaks to one of the writers and creators of the ‘B...

In our first episode, we hear directly from people who have worked in social care about their experiences, the different kinds of professional routes they have taken into and out of social care, how they developed their careers, why social care is for them and what’s influenced their professional practice. This episode features Teresa Miles a Social Care Manager from Belfast Central Mission, Elain...

In our third episode our host Dr Wendy Austin speaks to a team of Social Care Council staff and experts behind the development of a resource for social care workers that aims to support their resilience and wellbeing. Never heard of neurolinguistic programming? This resource shows how this therapeutic approach an make a difference to social care workers in their day-to-day practice and we hear why...

For our second episode, we hear from Koulla Yiasouma in conversation before she finished up in her role as Children’s Commissioner this spring. Wendy talks to Koulla about what got her interested in becoming a social worker in the first place and why maintaining her registration throughout her career and into her role as the Children’s Commissioner was important.

On the final episode of our 2022 taster podcast Series ‘Care to Chat?’ Dr Wendy Austin talks to Paul Rooney, Professional Adviser at the Social Care Council and Jackie McCaughey, Area Manager at MindWise, on how to present social care as a rewarding career opportunity for the next generation or for people interested in changing professions. 

On the second episode of the Social Care Council’s 2022 taster podcast series ‘Care to chat?’, Dr Wendy Austin invites Rebecca Voguel and Rachel Brammer from Connected Health and Stephen Browne from Red Cross NI for a conversation about loneliness.

On this first episode of our 2022 taster podcast series ‘Care to chat?’, Dr Wendy Austin invites Chief Social Work Officer, Sean Holland to talk about the challenges presented by a growing and ageing population, the Reform of Adult Social Care Consultation and how it will shape the development of a better social care for the future.