The Social Work Community Podcast

Are you an adults’ social worker who is considering moving into children’s social work but don’t know how to make the transition?

In this episode, hear from Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans as they respond to this question and highlight the invaluable skills that adult social workers can bring to children’s services. They also highlight how you can find that relevant job, and why the British Army could hold the key in that transition.

Read the transcript here.

Send us an email at: [email protected] 

You can follow all the Ask The Experts questions and responses on: www.thesocialworkcommunity.comRead past questions from social workers with a career question and read the responses here.

The Social Work Community podcast is where social workers come to discuss the key issues affecting their profession. Whether you are a student or an experienced social worker - whether you are frontline or management, this podcast is for you. You will hear direct from social workers in your community about their successes and their challenges.

Follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This special episode was recorded for Refugee Week 2025. Sharmeen Ziauddin, careers editor at Community Care, speaks to Zahraa Adam and Aimee Hinton about their work with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). They have worked with UASC for 10 years and have a wealth of experience.

Both Zahraa and Aimee are national social work award winners and Aimee holds a British Empire Medal for her contribution to social work.They are also age assessors and talk about how this assessment is carried out - this episode was recorded before the news that the Home Office agency, National Age Assessment Board, has been backed by the government despite BASW's opposition to it.

Expect emotional stories, the reality of working in this specialism and surprisingly a lot of laughter! An episode not to be missed!


If you want to find out more about working with UASC, you can register for a special webinar, Trauma-informed practice with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, run by Community Care Inform. You can find out more on our Events tab on Community Care's homepage. 

Read the transcript of this episode here.

The Social Work Community podcast is where social workers come to discuss the key issues affecting their profession. Whether you are a student or an experienced social worker - whether you are frontline or management, this podcast is for you. You will hear direct from social workers in your community about their successes and their challenges.

Follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the miniseries Social work around the world, Community Care's careers editor Sharmeen Ziauddin, speaks to Riad Arar, a social worker from Hebron, a city south of Jerusalem, in the occupied West Bank, Palestine.

He describes what life is like for him since 7 October 2023. Increased military checkpoints make delivering services incredibly hard for social workers and healthcare professionals. The focus is on survival.

Riad speaks about Gaza and the destruction there. But he also talks about hope and how that keeps him going, along with the solidarity of the international community.

Listening with the transcript is advisable.

His previous interview with Community Care can be accessed here:
https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/04/25/how-the-israel-gaza-war-has-affected-social-workers-in-the-uk/
Here is the transcript.

The Social Work Community podcast is where social workers come to discuss the key issues affecting their profession. Whether you are a student or an experienced social worker - whether you are frontline or management, this podcast is for you. You will hear direct from social workers in your community about their successes and their challenges.

Follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, hear from Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans respond to a question we received asking how to secure a new job after receiving a negative reference, and where to access help.

Read the transcript here.This episode is hosted by Kirsty Ayakwah, senior careers editor at Community Care.

If you have a question you’d like our experts to answer or if you felt the advice has helped you secure your next social work role, we want to hear from you.

Send us an email at: [email protected]

You can follow all the Ask The Experts questions and responses on: www.thesocialworkcommunity.com

Read past questions from social workers with a career question and read the responses here.

The Social Work Community podcast is where social workers come to discuss the key issues affecting their profession. Whether you are a student or an experienced social worker - whether you are frontline or management, this podcast is for you. You will hear direct from social workers in your community about their successes and their challenges.

Follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to Sharmeen Ziauddin's (career editor at Community Care) report from the One Voice Summit which was held at the London Guildhall on 24 & 25 April 2025.

The summit, was organised by Olympian Fatima Whitbread’s charitable organisation Fatima’s UK Campaign. The main aim of the charity is to ‘create a safer, happier, and healthier environment for children, ensuring they can read their full potential’.

The One Voice Summit brought together many different organisations and individuals involved in the care system. This included charities, social enterprises, politicians, local authorities, academics and care-experienced people. 

You'll be hearing from Fatima herself, Dame Kelly Holmes and Professor Alexis Jay.

Here are some of the links mentioned in this episode:
Fatima's backstory and her day with social workers.
Coram Voice's report
Creation of the Child Protection Authority
Listen to Take My Hand 
News story on Community Care

If you liked this episode do rate and review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you are listening to this on. And do follow us on Instagram - we are @CommunityCareOfficial

The Social Work Community podcast is where social workers come to discuss the key issues affecting their profession. Whether you are a student or an experienced social worker - whether you are frontline or management, this podcast is for you. You will hear direct from social workers in your community about their successes and their challenges.

Follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Social Work Community Podcast, senior careers editor Kirsty Ayakwah speaks to specialist domestic abuse social worker Jenifer Lamadrid who started her career as an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate.

We find out why she made the move, what core skills she's been able to take from her former profession into social work and what keeps her in the sector.

Read the transcript of the interview here.

You can listen to our previous episode in the Career Transitions Series.

About the podcast
The Social Work Community Podcast explores the issues that matter to social work practitioners in their working lives.

Kirsty and fellow host, careers editor Sharmeen Ziauddin, interview experienced and inspiring guests, including frontline social workers who speak from the heart about their jobs, the sector and society.

The first season went down a storm and was nominated in the 2024 British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Social Work Journalism Awards.

We have since launched season two, during which we have covered whether we need more men in social work and interviewed a practitioner with 47 years’ experience about what keeps her in the profession.

Although the podcast is available on major podcast platforms, Social Work Community members will get special early access to each episode.

So sign up to the Social Work Community to be among the first to catch each episode and to connect with fellow practitioners in a safe space.Otherwise, check out the Social Work Community Podcast on the following:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Spreaker
• Audible (Amazon)

Click ‘follow’ or ‘subscribe’ on your podcast app so you know when a new episode is published.And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram.

The Social Work Community podcast is where social workers come to discuss the key issues affecting their profession. Whether you are a student or an experienced social...

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As part of the 'Social work around the world' series, this episode, hosted by careers editor Sharmeen Ziauddin, features two Australian social workers, who have practised in Australia and in England.

Kristin, worked in Queensland, Australia before moving to London 12 years ago. Tina similarly moved to London from Queensland but moved back and found herself stuck in Western Australia during the covid-19 pandemic, and ended up staying there.

Emigrating is never easy and the challenges Kristen experienced led her to write a blog to help other Australian social workers navigate their move to the UK. This is how Kristin and Tina met!

The Aussies discuss the differences in social work between the two countries, how they overcame the challenges and what they love about working in both countries. Tina also shares her experience working with Aboriginal communities in Western Australia where she is currently based. 

Watch a clip here.

Read the transcript.

About the podcast

The Social Work Community Podcast explores the issues that matter to social work practitioners in their working lives. Sharmeen and fellow host Kirsty Ayakwah, senior careers editor, interview experienced and inspiring guests, including frontline social workers who speak from the heart about their jobs, the sector and society.

The first season went down a storm and was nominated in this year’s British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Social Work Journalism Awards.

Season two has covered whether we need more men in social work and interviewed a practitioner with 47 years’ experience about what keeps her in the profession.A

Click ‘follow’ or ‘subscribe’ on your podcast app so you know when a new episode is published.

The Social Work Community podcast is where social workers come to discuss the key issues affecting their profession. Whether you are a student or an experienced social worker - whether you are frontline or management, this podcast is for you. You will hear direct from social workers in your community about their successes and their challenges.

Follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, hear from Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly, Claire Barcham and Kayleigh Rose Evans respond to a question we received asking how an adults' social worker can secure a role working with refugees or co-ordinating disaster relief. 

This episode is hosted by Kirsty Ayakwah, senior careers editor at Community Care. If you have a question you’d like our experts to answer or if you felt the advice has helped you secure your next social work role, we want to hear from you.

Read the transcript here.

Send us an email at: [email protected] You can follow all the Ask The Experts questions and responses on: www.thesocialworkcommunity.com Read past questions from social workers with a career question and read the responses here.

The Social Work Community podcast is where social workers come to discuss the key issues affecting their profession. Whether you are a student or an experienced social worker - whether you are frontline or management, this podcast is for you. You will hear direct from social workers in your community about their successes and their challenges.

Follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the second part of our conversation with Yohai Hakak, senior social work lecturer and MSc lead at Brunel University, London. If you haven't listened to the previous episode then do go back and have a listen!

The episode begins with Yohai talking about his PhD subject, going on to share his experience working as a mental health social worker back in Israel where he was born and raised. 

He shares insights from his work at a psychiatric hospital in Jerusalem as well as discussing a journal article he wrote on the involvement of social services in interfaith marriages. 

A fascinating listen.


Read Yohai's research article, 'Battling Against Interfaith Relations in Israel: Religion, Therapy, and Social Services'.

This episode was hosted and produced by Sharmeen Ziauddin, careers editor at Community Care.

The Social Work Community podcast is where social workers come to discuss the key issues affecting their profession. Whether you are a student or an experienced social worker - whether you are frontline or management, this podcast is for you. You will hear direct from social workers in your community about their successes and their challenges.

Follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the first episode of the new miniseries "Social Work Around The World" from the The Social Work Community Podcast.

In the first episode, social work senior lecturer and MSc lead from Brunel University Yohai Hakak, talks to Sharmeen Ziauddin, careers editor at Community Care, about the research he is leading with his social work students.
The research looks into the migration of social workers to and from the UK. Yohai explains what led him to conduct the research and some of his findings.
This is the first of two episodes with Yohai, the second episode is about his experience in Israel so do have a listen to that when it drops.

Access the transcript here.

There are the studies that Yohai mentions so if you are interested in taking part, have a look:

Focusing on international social work students studying in the UK: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/brunel/international-social-work-students-in-the-uk

A study examining how international social workers are bridging cultural differences. Social workers who migrated from any, either before or after qualifying as social workers can participate:
https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/brunel/the-international-social-worker-advantage-strategies-for-naviga

You can find more information about the project and download the papers published based on it, including questionnaires from some of the countries mentioned in the episode: The migration of social workers to and from the UK


Have you joined the Social Work Community? If not, you can sign up for free if you are a social worker or social work student. 

The Social Work Community podcast is where social workers come to discuss the key issues affecting their profession. Whether you are a student or an experienced social worker - whether you are frontline or management, this podcast is for you. You will hear direct from social workers in your community about their successes and their challenges.

Follow us on Instagram to keep up-to-date with the latest news and join the Social Work Community for all things social work.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.