One hundred not out for Let’s Talk Social Work!

To mark our centenary, we’re delighted to welcome Baroness Ruth Lister CBE onto the podcast for a unique ‘in conversation’ episode on a host of topic areas, from social justice to human rights, asylum and immigration, child safeguarding, and raising social work’s voice in parliament.

Baroness Lister brings a wealth of experience and expertise in all of these areas, having dedicated her career to tackling child poverty, advocating for the most vulnerable in our society, and fighting for a more socially just country.

Following a long stint working for the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and in various academic roles, Baroness Lister was appointed as a Labour Peer in 2011, where she has transferred her campaigning, knowledge and influence to Westminster, holding successive governments to account and working to improve key pieces of legislation passed by MPs. One of her most notable roles during this time has been as Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty and Inequality.

The discussion begins by exploring why poverty continues to be a deepening blight on communities across the UK and the impact it’s having on social work. This paves the way for detailed scrutiny of the recently announced UK Child Poverty Strategy, brought about by the Prime Minister’s self-proclaimed ‘moral mission’ to end child poverty.

We then examine the current government’s approach to asylum and immigration issues, including age assessments for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, rising homelessness among refugee families, and the proposed ‘earned settlement’ reforms to migration laws; before considering whether social work truly has the ear of our politicians on these matters or not.

In recognition of our 100th episode, there are also some honourable mentions to round off the conversation.

Thanks to all our listeners for your support and here’s to the next one hundred episodes and beyond!

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