Helpful Social Work Podcast

In this episode we step into the world of theatre and storytelling through JaJa’s African Hair Braiding — a play that centres the beauty, complexity and politics of Black life within the familiar space of the hair salon.  The conversation reflects pertinent themes such as identity, migration, labour  and belonging.  We delve into the unspoken dynamics that live in community spaces — the care, the...

Welcome Back to ARM-OUR or OUR-ARM, the podcast from the Anti-Racist Movement (ARM).  Giving can be powerful, restorative, and intentional and this episode explores how we reclaim our energy and connect more deeply to our shared humanity. For this relaunch episode, we mark International Women’s Day with a powerful conversation inspired by the theme Give to Gain and the call to give again.  Black w...

Welcome to today’s episode. We’re diving into the power of Black women’s writing — not just as creativity, but as survival, healing, and resistance. This episode comes out of a five-day writing retreat in July 2025 for Black women in academia, social work, and beyond. I brought them together to write for the upcoming special issue for the British Journal of Social Work (listen back to episode 1 fo...

In this episode, we take you behind the scenes of the finale of our unforgettable "March in May" fundraiser—a journey that took us across the stunning Seven Sisters hills and deep into conversations about resilience, representation, and collective joy.  Still time to donate: https://gofund.me/e6a2187d (copy and paste into browser). The ARM Core Collective reflect on what it meant to walk 10,000 st...

In this episode, we tackle a tough conversation head-on. Our core collective delves into a deeply disturbing situation that shook us to our core and compelled us to respond. We confront the impact of racist imagery, prioritising its effects over its intent. As a collective, we recognise the urgent need to call out these issues, no matter how uncomfortable they may be. Ignoring them only perpetuate...

This isn't reform, it reimagination.  Season 10 begins with a call for radical, anti-racist visions for social work. In this episode, we launch a call for abstracts for the upcoming British Journal of Social Work special issue:  "Reimagining Anti-Racist Social Work - Rooted in Care, Resistance and Solidarity" led by the Anti-Racist Movement. We explore: The purpose and vision of the special issue...

Welcome to today’s episode - the last for series 9 - where we dive deep into the complexities of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Members of the core collective unpack the challenges of implementing and measuring EDI efforts and explore the growing hostility toward EDI, the intricacies of intersectionality, and the global state of anti-racism work. Amid these critical discussions, we also...

Happy New Year to you ALL. Welcome to Bridging the Years, the first episode of ARMOUR or OURARM for 2025. As we step into this new year, we pause to reflect on the lessons, triumphs, and growth of 2024. What did the past year teach us? How did it shape who we are today? More importantly, we’ll set our sights on the year ahead—exploring the power of intention and the possibilities it holds. This ye...

In this deeply moving season finale of ARM-OUR, Laurelle and I hold nothing back as we delve into the intricate intersection of neurodiversity, leadership, and identity.  As Black women navigating the dual worlds of executive leadership and ADHD (and dyslexia), we explore the layers of complexity, resilience, and vulnerability that come with breaking stereotypes and challenging expectations. This...

Welcome to this special episode, where we have the privilege of sitting down with the extraordinary Dr. Beverley Barnett-Jones MBE. With decades of experience in social work and child protection, Dr. Barnett-Jones has dedicated her life to improving outcomes for vulnerable children and families. A trailblazer in her field, she has not only transformed social work practice but has also influenced p...

Welcome to another episode of ARM-OUR or OUR-ARM, the podcast hosted by me, Shantel Thomas, founder of the Anti-Racist Movement (A.R.M.).  Today, we have a special one-on-one conversation with Shirleecia Ward—a remarkable woman with an incredible story and purpose. Shirleecia is an African-Caribbean mother of two daughters, a dedicated researcher, and a senior lecturer at Leeds Beckett University....

Recorded at the end of October 2024, this episode again features some of the core members of A.R.M talking about their individual and collective contributions to social activism over the past months.  This years theme for Black History Month is 'Reclaiming Narratives' and we reflect on the milestones and resilience that has shaped History and our ongoing fight for racial justice.  We also look ahe...

In this episode - C-our-rage or See Our Rage - we focus on the interplay between courage and anger in light of the "Race Riots" of August 2024.   Courage is the 4th of 4 core values of A.R.M and  we explore how our collective anger against injustice becomes a source of strength, fueling our courage to confront racism head-on.  We'll examine the balance between rage, resilience and vulnerability, a...

Welcome to ARM-OUR, the podcast from the Anti-Racist Movement (ARM).  In this episode, we continue to delve into our core values, with today's focus being 'Compassion as the Core'.  We explore how empathy and understanding are essential in the fight against racism and discuss how compassion shows up across the life span.  A key focus is on self-compassion, both inside and outside of social work. ...

In this episode, we delve into the heart of social work, focusing on the vital role of connection. We explore how taking the time to rest and rejuvenate can actually strengthen the bonds we build with those we work for and with.  We share practical strategies, powerful stories from the field, and discuss the intersection of rest, connection, and social justice.  Join us as we reflect on how rest n...

In this inaugural episode of ARM-OUR, you'll have the chance to meet the six powerful women who form the nucleus of our community.  Each of us bring a unique perspective, passion, and wealth of experience to our collective resistance. Focussing on one of the 4Cs that make up our values (Courage, Compassion, Connection and Community), we discuss our personal and professional journeys, reflecting on...

In our final podcast of series 8, we do our annual review of the year in social work. We are joined by Sylvia and Shantel from the Anti-Racism Movement, who are taking over as hosts. We reflect on the way social workers have responded to events over the last year and share our hopes for the future.

In this final episode about sustaining yourself as a social worker, we explore the need for recognition and respect for social work. This enables good working conditions and supports social workers to offer trusted expertise to children, adults and families.

We continue our series on sustainable social work by looking at how social workers can practise authentic self-care. We discuss how self-care is really a shared endeavour with peers, and the importance of seeing it as activism for good social work. We are excited to be joined by Shantel Thomas and Sylvia Smith, who will be taking over as hosts in April.

We continue our series on sustainable social work by looking at how organisations provide relational support to enable social workers to thrive. We discuss how everyone can work together with a shared purpose. And we consider the importance of building a sense of belonging and equity within the organisation.

We continue our series on sustainable social work by discussing how good managerial support can help social workers to thrive. We look at how to build relationships of trust, including through the use of intersectionality.

We continue our series on sustainable social work by discussing the vital topic of supervision. We talk about why it matters, and how to secure sound professional supervision to enable you to practice well and to thrive.

We continue our series on sustainable social work by discussing the importance of wider support from the social work profession. We talk about how being part of a national and global community of social workers inspires us, encourages us and makes us think about what we stand for.

We continue our series on sustainable social work by discussing the importance of peer support. We look at how this helps social workers to manage stress, develop practice and be inspired.

We continue our series on sustainable social work by exploring how professional development helps us to thrive as social workers. We talk about how learning can bring joy and growth, and how to get the most out of continual professional development.