The internet can be a dangerous place and protecting the vulnerable from those who prey on them is becoming more and more important.

Claudia is an expert on digital engagement and online safeguarding. She is co-chair of the Principal Social Workers’ national network. She is a fellow of National Institute of Health Research NIHR and Head of Service within a local authority.

She is the founder of “Social Work and Media” Network (@SWSCmedia) which was the first open access social work community offering weekly open debate about social work and social care topics. She is also the founder of “Mental Health Chat” @MHChat community and was the first social work lecturer to embed social media as a required part of academic curricula in a social work qualifying programmes.

Claudia has advised and led various boards including as: member of the advisory board of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB), Trustee of Mind, and the Chair and Vice-Chair of Tower Hamlets Police and Community Safety Board.

Over the past 14 years she has researched social media technologies and their impact and has published her work ranging from Theorizing Twitter Chat to studying the effect of social media on relationships, identity and empathy, to her book on Safeguarding Children and Young People Online.

Claudia was selected as one of the 50 most influential higher education (HE) professionals using social media by JISC and as one of the top 10 most engaged power women on LinkedIn UK by LinkedIn.

The combination of Claudia’s academic, research, practice, and leadership experience offer her a unique and in-depth expertise in social media technologies and their impact.

There’s another Reach Out Speak Out Safeguarding Conference in Leeds on 14th March. I’m very pleased to be a speaker again. Have a look…  http://tinyurl.com/y99xqy5f

My thanks as always to Alba Digital Media for their technical support.

A fantastic folk rock CD to raise funds for Looked After Children.

The project is Jenni’s brainchild  and marries her lifelong love of social work with her passion for folk and folk-rock music. She is an award winning social worker who has retired to live in Cromer and has linked up with the Rees Care Leavers Foundation, a national charity that provides ongoing support for those who have previously been in care. Jenni Randall was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award for her work in social service. Since retirement she has cotinued to pursue projects dear to her heart and the situation of looked after children.

The money raised from the CD and the launch concert will be used to set up new projects in East Anglia and other parts of the country providing specialist counsellors and mentors to assist care experienced young adults with a range of issues including searching for and understanding their own personal story and family history. She realised that there was a need for continuing counselling and advice for those who were leaving care and adults who were care experienced. ‘Many of the issues that took them into care are not addressed and the care experience itself can be damaging emotionally and can be carried on long into adult life.’ Jenni explains; ‘Providing ongoing counselling and support targeted to the new issues and changing needs when they leave care will give them a better chance to succeed in the outside world. One major issue is that they frequently have no sense of belonging, of their place in the world and this might be helped by exploring and completing their own story and history.’

She presents the ‘Vintage Social Worker Blog’ and has gathered together some of the top folk musicians in the UK on the album.

www.kindershores.org. has all the details and how to buy the CD.

As always my thanks to   AlbaDigitalMedia   for their technical support with this Podcast.

Chair, Global Institute for Social Work ( GISW ) International Advisory Board —– President, Connexions International. —– Professor, Singapore University of Social Sciences.—– Treasurer, International Association of Schools of Social Work.

I’m very pleased to have been invited on to the International Advisory Board that Tiong Chairs and , in this interview, he lays out the vision and the opportunities for the GISW at its five year anniversary.

Following that I’ve included two UK radio interviews I did this week on cases of abuse in Wales and the closure of residential homes in Herefordshire.

As always my thanks to Alba Digital Media for their technical support.

A magazine edition today!

1  )  Chris Walters ( pictured) , a terrific stain glass artist who gives back to the community, talks about his work and his committment.

If you’re anywhere near the SW of England go and see his work.  (Details below)

Chris has been creating glass art work for nearly 20 years.  He is a member of the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen and Contemporary Glass Society.  Over the years his glass has found it’s way to many countries and he’s taken part in numerous exhibitions and displays  His next exploit is the Chew Valley Arts Trail taking place on 13th and 14th October when visitors will be able to see Chris’s work at his home:

https://www.chewvalleyartstrail.co.uk/

Alternatively take a look at his website (http://www.modaglass.co.uk) or contact Chris through email ([email protected]).

Of particular interest is the commissioning process where Chris works with potential clients to create work which is particular and special to them.  This can range from making fused glass objects such as jewellery or ornaments for that special gift to stained glass panels for doors or windows as part of one’s home.

A major motivator for Chris is helping others and he has been involved in a number of local and national charities through donating his work and fund raising.  Particular causes where he has been involved are:

Children’s Hospice South West… . https://www.chsw.org.uk/

Send A Cow… https://sendacow.org/

2)  The next item is a personal one as I’ve been asked to join the International Advisory Board of the Global Institute for Social Work ( GISW)

3) The easy access of non prescription analgesics in supermarkets and convenience stores needs addressing and I outline what I’ve done so far as I believe it is an avoidable risk to children and young people.

Thanks as always to www.albadigitalmedia.com for technical support.

Welcome again to the podcast. Today it’s safeguarding and the perspective of a senior manager in a large local authority.

Jim Hopkinson qualified as a Social Worker at University of Oxford in 1992. In addition to working as a children’s front line social worker both in the UK and abroad  he  has worked as a Probation Officer, managed alternative education provision, Head of Youth Offending Services, Head of Targeted Early Help and became Deputy Director of Bradford Children’s Social Care in 2016.

As we head towards Bradford’s annual safeguarding week,  25th to 29th June,   http://bradfordscb.org.uk   we talk of the numerous areas of responsibility that Social Care and other agencies have to consider now to keep children and vulnerable adults safe, both the established areas and the emerging ones.

In a wide ranging interview that includes subject such as child sexual exploitation and the radicalisation of young people, Jim outlines his take on now and the future in safeguarding.

Safeguarding in education has always been a high priority as young peoplle sometimes spend more waking hours at school than at home. School staff of all disciplines, are part of the ‘front line’ when it comes to safeguarding.

Ann Marie is an Independent social worker. She qualified in 1996 as a social worker and worked in a generic children & families neighbourhood team. She took part in a pilot project in 1999 based in a school as a social worker for four years.  Ann Marie completed her ‘practice teaching’ qualification and went on to manage a team of school based social workers for a local authority. This role evolved and included being the ‘safeguarding advisor’ for schools and providing child protection training and consultancy to colleagues in education. She set up half termly ‘safeguarding network meetings’ for schools and invited colleagues from children social care, health and the voluntary sector. In this role she was the bridge between children social care and education colleagues. This role expanded and Ann Marie supported schools with the ‘Common Assessment Framework’ in 2004 and delivered the training and support. She worked as a LSCB trainer and sub member and supported children & families social workers in working with schools and was the LADO (local authority designated officer) in the education department and supported the Local Authority Head of education and schools with allegations against staff. She took part in strategy meetings focusing on the safeguarding of the child.

In 2010 she became independent and continued social work locum roles in early years, education and youth justice over five years.

Ann Marie was invited to write a chapter in a book ‘Becoming a social worker’, Vivienne. E Cree, 2003, Routledge and wrote about her school based social worker role. She continues to write and contributes regular articles to various journals. Ann Marie is  passionate about safeguarding and promoting the well being of children and speaks regularly at International and National conferences.

She delivers associate work for various organisations including NSPCC, COIS (Council of International Schools), ISI Consultancy (Independent School Inspectorate), Multi Academy Trusts, Church groups, Charities, sports organisations and performing arts.

Thanks as always to www.albadigitalmedia.com  for technical support.

Robert Goodwill MP was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Education on 12 June 2017. He was elected Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby in 2005. He is Minister of State for Children and Families.

His responsibilities include:

We talk of the changes and new legislation affecting safeguarding boards as well as social work accreditation and assessment issues. The new ‘Working Together’ multi agency guidence document is still being consulted on and provokes several questions. +++++

Robert was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 1999, serving in Brussels and Strasbourg until the 2004 European election. He was Deputy Leader of the Conservative MEPs during his term. He was elected to the House of Commons at the 2005 general election for Scarborough and Whitby.

After spending 18 months as a member of the transport select committee, he was appointed as a government whip in 2006 and promoted to the post of Shadow Roads Minister in the transport team in 2007. He was re-elected at the 2010 general election and appointed to the government as a whip with responsibility for HM Treasury and Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs business.

Robert Goodwill served as Minister of State at the Department for Transport from December 2015 until July 2016. Robert was previously Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport

Dr David Colvin and Bill McKitterick both have been lost to us this year. 

David Colvin

David was my friend and mentor. He helped me through many difficult situations with a deep rooted wisdom and a compassionate outlook on life. He was a major figure throughout the Scottish social and care system and was appointed chief social work adviser for Scotland in 1991. He was instrumental in the implementation of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 and was in the forefront of modernising the profession, becoming senior adviser of the Social Work Services Group and from 1993 the head of the British Association of Social Workers of Scotland.

His work extended throughout Scotland – notably in such high-profile projects as the Snowdrop Campaign on the ownership of handguns after the Dunblane shooting. He also brought his experience and understanding of community life to organisations such as NCH Action for Children and the Scottish Disability Foundation. He was also a pioneering chairman of SACRO, the community justice organisation, from 1997-2002, St Columba’s Hospice, from 1998 to 2003, and the Church of Scotland’s Crossroads scheme which helps the disabled at the Eric Liddell Centre in Edinburgh.

Dr Colvin was also influential in developing and establishing the Social Work Research Centre at the University of Stirling which reformed the quality of research throughout the profession. Appropriately, in 1998, he was awarded an honorary doctorate at the university.

From his youth Dr Colvin showed a keen interest in the arts and throughout his life had a considerable influence on many aspects of the arts in Scotland. In 1991, when he was awarded the CBE for his work in the social services the citation also mentioned his contribution to the arts. Dr Colvin was chairman of the Exhibiting Societies of Scottish Artists who exhibit the work of young artists from the principal art colleges and those of more established Scottish painters.

I knew David for over 25 years. He worked closely with six Secretary of States and brought much incisive and clear thinking to the services in Scotland. What David said was important and incorporated the very best of new thinking.  He was a great help to me when I started the social policy charity Action On Child Exploitation and, together, we lobbied government and institutions to change the law and combat sex tourism.

Uniquely, his daughter Iona Colvin has not only followed her father into social work but risen to a similar position to the one her father occupied as Chief Social Work Advisor to the Scottish Government. I’m delighted to say that she agreed to record an interview for this podcast.

Bill McKitterick

Another friend,Bill McKitterick,was also lost to us this year and his contribution to social work was significant and lasting as well. A man of great compassion and humanity, he never forgot his identity as a social worker. Strongly against privatisation and the erosion of professionalism, he wrote and spoke passionately in favour of his profession and the importance of continuing development and educational advances in social work. He was a committed member of the British Association of Social Workers, acting in various roles and as their Treasurer for many years. Bill was Director of Social Services for Bristol for ten years and , in my view, was responsible for giving the media one of the most significant opportunities to show the work of frontline practitioners. He allowed the BBC to make three one hour programmes following a team of social workers involved in child protection and the result was sensitive and well received.

Bill died far too early and his loss left a void . He will be remembered with affection and his writing will, I hope, continue to inspire future social workers.

We talk of the future of Safeguarding Boards and what the new guidelines could mean following the Wood Review. These new arrangements will affect so many people and, now there is a defined consultation process,it’s important to consider the implications..

Nick Frost is Professor of Social Work (childhood, children and families), at the School of Health and Community, Leeds Beckett University. He took up this post in Feb., 2007.

Nick is a qualified and registered social worker, and practiced in local authority social work settings for 15 years before commencing his academic career.

Nick has published widely in the fields of child welfare and professional learning: most recently his publications include ‘Understanding Children’s Social Care’ (with Nigel Parton, Sage, 2009), ‘Rethinking Children and Families’ (Continuum, 2011) ‘Children and the Care Experience’ (with Julie Shaw, Routledge, 2013) and ‘Family Support’ (with Abbott and Race, Polity, 2015).

Nick’s primary research interests are in integrated professional working, family support and working with vulnerable children and young people. He has acted an advisor and referee for British government departments and the governments of the Republic of Ireland, Spain and Denmark.

He was appointed as Chair of North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Board in 2012, and of Calderdale Safeguarding Children Board in 2017.

My thanks as always to AlbaDigitalMedia for their technical support.

This programme is about the image of social work and social care. It describes an exiting new initiative in media training and has an interview with the founder of the Social Worker of the Year Awards.

Beverly Williams MBE

Beverley had worked in the social housing sector for 23 years when, the age of forty, she became a foster carer and first came in touch with social workers.

A mother of three, she qualified with a Diploma in Social Work in 2004. She works as an independent social worker and from 2006 she launched the Social Worker of the Year Awards in her spare time. Beverley continues to work  as an experienced qualified social worker and has practiced in various local authorities. 

She enjoys the diversity and challenges that she faces during her time spent at any local authority. She has no plans of giving up her full-time career, but is ecstatically happy and proud that the Social Work Awards has taken her dream and made it a reality. She gives special thanks to Sanctuary Social Care for their commitment and contribution since 2010. The awards have definitely put social work on the map and have given social workers the lift that they needed to make them feel valued for the challenging tasks that we take on every day. Beverley was awarded with an MBE for setting up the awards in the Queens New Year’s Honours List in 2014

 This year there are over 300 nominations in many different categories, illustrating the growth in recognition that these awards generate.

Contact us for more informaton on media training! 

My thanks , as always, to AlbaDigitalMedia for their technical support.