The Social World Podcast

Wayne Reid is a Professional Officer, Social Worker and former Anti-racism Visionary at BASW England.  He qualified as a Social Worker in 2010 and his frontline social care experience spans over 20 years.  Wayne has worked for private fostering agencies; the Probation Service; a youth offending team; a community mental health service; a child protection service and with care leavers.  Wayne previously compiled and curated a national social work newsletter (Wayne’s Weekly), which ran for several years.

Wayne’s diverse role at BASW England involves supporting national groups focussed on: criminal justice, professional capabilities and development and Black and ethnic minority social workers.  Wayne’s work with students, NQSW’s, diverse social work professionals and a cross-section of organisations is extensive.  This has involved guest speaking, workshop facilitation; leading national campaigns and mobilising social work activism.

During 2020-2022, Wayne undertook the role of Anti-Racism Visionary and proactively spearheaded a movement to reignite ‘Anti-racism in Social Work’ via his role at BASW England.  Wayne’s knowledge and professional opinions have been published in print, online and on international platforms.

Recent innovations include the ‘SHADES OF BIAS‘ Toolkit that is proving a welcome addition to support for survivors of racist behaviour as well as other discriminatory practices.

Read the article in Social Work Today  https://www.socialworktoday.co.uk/News/%E2%80%9Cwas-that-racism%E2%80%9D%3A-new-toolkit-launched-to-process-racism-and-bias-in-social-work

Watch his presentation to the Irish Association of Social Workers on this toolkit – Shades of Bias online survey – As always, thanks for your support.

As a Black male Social Worker, Wayne understands some of the challenges that service-users and practitioners from different minority groups can face.

From his experience, Wayne believes academic and ‘life education’ are essential to improve an individual’s quality of life and life chances.  He adds: “Social work is a vital multi-faceted international service that: coordinates support for the most vulnerable people in society; assesses and manages risk; addresses problematic behaviours and relationships; champions equality and social justice; optimises peoples’ strengths, promotes human decency and creates meaningful opportunities for social mobility”.

“Once You See It, It’s Really Hard to Ever Look Away” A Deep Dive into Combating Human Trafficking with Sherrie Bosisto, CEO, Global Emancipation Network.

Sherrie Bosisto is the founder and Executive Director of the Global Emancipation Network, ( GEN ), a nonprofit at the forefront of using data and technology to fight human trafficking. With nearly two decades of experience in the field, Sherrie has built a reputation for bringing people together and finding practical solutions to some of society’s toughest challenges.

Currently serving as a Distinguished Research Scholar at North Carolina State University, Sherrie’s work centers on harnessing the power of data analysis and artificial intelligence to protect vulnerable communities and support law enforcement. Her career began with the Protection Project at Johns Hopkins University, and she’s held key roles with organizations like Orphan Secure, always keeping her focus on making a real difference.

We talk of the challenges she has found as she moves around the world advising countries and organisations on how to combat trafficking with the smart use of data.

Sherrie’s commitment to collaboration and innovation shines through in her latest project, the “Finding Freedom: Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery” podcast, where she brings together experts and advocates to share stories, successes, and lessons learned from the front lines.

A proud graduate of American University, where she earned her degree in international relations summa cum laude, Sherrie Bosisto is known for her steady leadership, her heart for service, and her unwavering belief that, together, we can build a safer world for everyone.

Global Emancipation Network

Safeguarding in faith settings, Bishop of Bath&Wells Michael Beasley

The Rt Revd Michael Beasley is the 80th Bishop of Bath and Wells and was installed in Wells Cathedral on 12th November 2022. He grew up in rural Staffordshire and was educated in Stafford before studying biology and epidemiology at Imperial College, London and Oxford University.

Bishop Michael trained for ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham, before being ordained in the Diocese of Lichfield in 1999. For many years he combined Christian ministry with a scientific career. The latter involved working with a research group based in the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College that enabled programmes in low income countries designed to improve the health and education of school aged children. In 2015, he became the Bishop of Hertford in the Diocese of St Albans before coming to Bath and Wells.Bishop Michael is ‘married into Somerset’ having lots of in-laws here! He lives in Wells with his wife Lizzie and their two children.

He talks of his great sadness over recent national events and his conviction the churches have to become as safe as they can be. He talks of the recent audit of the Diocese’s safeguarding and his pleasure that all those involved, staff and volunteers as well as the dedicated safeguarding team, having received a positive result–always plenty to continue improving but recognised as serving the diocese well.

He emphasised that the church is an organisation where actions must match the rhetoric and not just look to preserve its reputation.

Justin Humphreys has over 30 years’ experience in social impact settings as a practitioner and leader in a variety of sectors. He is currently the CEO and Head of Safeguarding Development at Thirtyone:eight, the leading independent, Christian safeguarding charity operating across the United Kingdom and internationally. Established in 1977, the charity is a membership organisation and now supports in excess of 10,000 churches, charities/NGOs and others to create safer places for all through a variety od services and supports, including Criminal Records Checks, Safeguarding Helpline, Training, Consultancy, Research and Advocacy.

He has authored of a variety of books and peer reviewed journal articles, including: Understanding Child Abuse in Contemporary Times (2025), Just Leadership: putting integrity and justice at the heart of how you lead (2021), Escaping the maze of spiritual abuse (2019), Safeguarding Children who are Exposed to Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief (2019), and Spiritual abuse in Christian faith settings: definition, policy and practice guidance (2018).

Justin is a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership (FIoL), Visiting Fellow at the University of Kent (Department of Religious Studies), Honorary Lecturer at the University of Chester (School of Society) and Guest Lecturer at St. Mellitus Theological College.

He has been Chair of the Christian Forum for Safeguarding since 2017 and in co-founded the All Party Parliamentary Group on Safeguarding in Faith Communities with Sarah Champion MP in 2018. He has been its Principal Advisor since that time with Thirtyone:eight acting as Secretariat.

Justin holds an MSc. in Child Protection and Strategic Management, a BSc. (Hons) in Social Work Studies, a Diploma in Counselling Psychology & Psychotherapy, and is a certified Compassionate Leader with the Centre for Compassionate Leadership.

We talk widely about the awareness of safeguarding throughout faith communities as well as research and best practice.

Further links:

Thirtyone:eight

All Party Parliamentary Group on Safeguarding in Faith Communities

John Pizzuro, CEO RAVEN. Online Child Exploitation expert, RAVEN is a 501(c)4 non-profit lobbying firm comprised of subject matter experts and retired law enforcement focused on legislative and policy solutions for child trafficking and child exploitation. John works with lawmakers, advocates, agencies, and organizations who are willing to challenge the status quo and fight to protect our most vulnerable citizens while advocating for more resources and support for those who fight for children. John has been called on as a subject matter expert to testify in both the US Senate and US Congress. John is routinely consulted on cyber related issues on child exploitation, Trafficking and Artificial Intelligence. Raven is currently involved in separate pieces of legislation and policy and fighting to get more protective Bills passed in Congress.

Online child sexual exploitation refers to the use of the Internet as a method to facilitate the sexual abuse of children. It includes a wide range of behaviors and situations that can take place directly online or through a combination of offline and online interactions.

Most commonly this includes grooming, live streaming, producing and trading child sexual exploitation material, and coercing and blackmailing children for sexual purposes.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ravenassociation/

http://www.raven.us

Prior to Raven that John spent 25 years in the New Jersey State Police conducting, managing and leading investigations in Terrorism, Organized Crime, Narcotics, Trafficking, Child Exploitation, and Corruption. John spent his last six years as The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Commander where he led a team of 200 including 71 Law Enforcement Agencies. John has created a framework for other countries to investigate Child Exploitation through the International Center of Missing & Exploited Children and consulted with governments and organizations on child exploitation and how to protect children.

Professor Johnston Wong is a social work and psychology expert at Beijing Normal Hong Kong Baptist University and co-founder of Social Workers Across Borders. With two decades of international experience, he shares insights into disaster response, digital innovation in psychosocial support, and the growing need for global collaboration in social work.

Episode Highlights:   Audio at bottom of this page

He is the Chair of the International Committee of Social Workers across Borders (SWAB).

Professor Johnston HC Wong.   Programme of Applied Psychology, Head of Master of Social Work Programme,

Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Beijing Normal Hong Kong Baptist University

Johnston, after studying Sociology in the Brock University of Canada, started his career in social work and social management in Hong Kong. He acquired extensive experience in applying case, group, and community approaches to youth work, family life education, school social work, civic education, and health education. He has taught at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels and assumed leadership roles in school administration and healthcare management. He is the Chair of the International Committee of the Social Workers across Borders (SWAB). SWAB is an NGO registered in Hong Kong focusing on disaster social work and crisis interventions. Since 2006, he resided and taught social work, social administration and psychology in Zhuhai, China. His teachings concern mainly with socio-medical, socio-legal and social psychological issues.

Social Workers Across Borders is a Hong Kong NGO founded after the December 26, 2004 Tsunami hit South East Asia. The NGO works mainly in post-disaster areas to provide emotional and mental health support.

SWAB sent several teams to the areas affected by the Wenzhou Earthquake in 2008. That was it’s first major project in the Mainland.

Since 2013, SWAB began a training for its “Heart Partner” Mainland China program, which sends people to work in disaster-affected areas. 693 people making up 42 teams have been sent to disaster-affected areas as part of this program.

Other areas that SWAB sent teams to include Taiwan, Qinghai, Gansu, Shenzhen and Chongqing, responding to typhoons, earthquakes, and landslides and floods.

https://chinadevelopmentbrief.org/ngos/social-workers-across-borders/

SWAB  is currently recruiting volunteers from the region to assist in Myanmar following the devastating earthquake.

Special Training

EQ, Six Seconds, USA.

Instructor, CISM, International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, USA.

CCISM, University of Maryland

 Research Interests

Disaster Social Work, Social Work in Health Care, Social Legislation, Positive Psychology, and Post-traumatic Growth, Industrial Health and Occupational Social Work, Working with Youth, Student Development in Higher Education, Emotional Intelligence, Adversity and Resilience, College students mental health, Social Innovations and Enterprises, International Social Work, and Social Indicators Research.

Awards

Ten Outstanding Young Persons, Hong Kong, 1990. Presidential Citation Award, ACPA, 2014.

International Critical Incident Intervention Leadership Award, ICISF, 2015.

Published Books

Wong, H. C. J. & Yu, B. S. S. (to be in early 2026). Community Change through Social Service and Business Partnership, IGI Global Scientific Publsihing.

Wong, H. C. J. (2025). Healthy Cities in the Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Greater Bay Area, Sun Yat Sen University Press. ISBN: (in print)

Wong, H. C. J., Xie, T. X. N., Lai, N. L., Zhou, T. C. (2022). Handbook for Community Social Work, Social Workers across Borders. Social Workers Across Borders Publication.

Wong, H. C. J., Lui, C. X., F., Lai, N. L., Zhou, T. C. (2022). Handbook for Social Work Intervention in Public Emergencies, Social Workers across Borders. Social Workers Across Borders Publication.

Wong, H. C. J., (2021). Children and Youth in China since 1978, Opportunities and Challenges (Ed.). New York: Nova Science Publishers. ISBN: 978-1-68507-149-3, DOI: https://doi.org/10.52305/OETH8715

Zhao, X. B., Wong, H. C. J., Lowe, C., Monaco, E., & Corbett, J. (2021), Covid-19 Pandemic, Crisis Responses and the Changing World, Perspectives in Humanities and Social Sciences (ed.). Singapore: Springer. ISBN: 978-981-16-2429-2

Wong, H. C. J., (2019). Internationalization and Localization of Student Affairs in Higher Education – the Unique Experience and Exploration of the BNU-HKBU United International College. Beijing University of Technology Press. ISBN：978-7-5639-6652-3

Wong, H. C. J., (2018). Modern City Emergency Management and Social Work Interventions – Roles and Cases. Beijing: China Social Press.

Wong, H. C. J., (2018). Disaster Social Work from Crisis Response to Building Resilience, New York:  NOVA Science Publishers. ISBN: 9781536144352

Wong, H. C. J., (2017). Integrated and Seamless Services for Older People, a model of elderly care from Zhuhai to China. Guangzhou: Sun Yat Sen University Press. ISBN：9787306060921

Wong H. C. J., (2016). Disaster Social Work Handbook. Guangzhou: Sun Yat Sen University Press, ISBN：9787306056016.

Wong H. C. J., (2013）. Social Work and Related Laws and Regulations — Case Analysis and Applications. Guangzhou: Sun Yat Sen University Press, ISBN：9787306046802.

Wong H. C. J., (2011）. Disasters Across Borders – Social work Interventions Case Studies, published by Social Workers across Borders, Hong Kong. ISBN：9789881841858

Clare Moody  Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset , elected in May 2024 and bringing extensive experience across diverse sectors to the role.

Her career spans public service, advocacy, and leadership. Clare has served as a Member of the European Parliament, worked at the heart of government in No.10 Downing Street, and dedicated over two decades to representing workers’ rights as a Trade Union officer. Before her election as PCC, Clare was the co-Chief Executive of Equally Ours, a leading UK charity focused on equality and human rights.

Key areas that Clare has focused on :-

Clare’s varied career has equipped her with a deep understanding of how to navigate complex systems, foster collaboration across organisations, and address challenges with practical, results-oriented solutions.

As PCC, Clare is focused on preventing crime, supporting victims, and improving standards of policing. She also serves as the both the Prevention and the Victims Lead for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, driving national efforts to prevent crime and improve support for those affected.

Clare’s website

OPCC for Avon and Somerset – The official website of Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner

She regularly conducts interviews online with the Chief Constable  Sarah Crew  a previous guest on the podcast

As mentioned, here is the link to information on Police Question Time (or can easily be found when searching on the  main website, link above)

http://Police Question Time – OPCC for Avon and Somerset

David is a member of the International Advisory Panel of the Global Institute of Social Work.

Safeguarding, Social Work, and Multi-Agency Collaboration with Steve Myers

Vice Chair of the Association of Child Protection Professionals, (AOCPP)    Steve Myers is a registered Social Worker with a background in child protection and youth justice. He has worked as a Social Worker in both statutory and voluntary organisations and been involved with the education of social workers in Higher Education for the past 25 years, including leadership roles. Steve has researched and written about strengths-based and solution focused practice, working with violent behaviour including sexual violence and assessment in social work practice

The Association of Child Protection Professionals  is a registered charity and membership association – the only one in the UK that provides training, support and professional development opportunities for those working across multiple disciplines within child protection and adult safeguarding. Through sharing knowledge, research and examples of best practice, what started as a small inter-professional membership association grew and today we are the only multi-disciplinary professional membership association, with charitable status, of its kind.

We provide support, professional development and representation to government and policy makers for those working in child protection and safeguarding.

We believe access to research, sharing expertise, engaging with complexity, and informed policy-making, produce better outcomes for children and families.

Our vision is a world in which all children and vulnerable adults can grow up in safety and security, without risk of being abused or neglected

Child Abuse Review is an interprofessional journal for research, practice and policy in child maltreatment and is the official journal of the Association of Child Protection Professionals.

The Journal is a publication for all professionals working in the field of child protection, providing access to the latest research findings, practice developments, training initiatives and policy issues. While publishing research from leading international researchers, the Journal maintains a practice-orientated focus, actively promoting practice-relevant research and facilitating the use of research findings to enhance good practice and influence policy.

The Association is committed to multi agency safeguarding practice and their membership reflects this. Check out their website

https://www.childprotectionprofessionals.org.uk/

Sarah Crew is the Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, with a career spanning nearly three decades. As the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for adult sexual offences, she has been instrumental in shaping policies on policing, public confidence, and safeguarding.

She became an officer in September 1994 and took on the role of Deputy Chief Constable in June 2017. In November 2021, she became Avon and Somerset’s first female Chief Constable.

Sarah has undertaken a wide variety of roles during her career with Avon and Somerset Police, both in uniform and as a detective. Previously, she has held the roles of Head of Investigations in Bristol, South Gloucestershire Area Commander, and as programme director for Force Reorganisation.

Sarah was pivotal in the launch of Operation Soteria Bluestone, a transformative programme which sees police professionals work alongside leading UK academics to change the police response to rape and sexual assault. Nationally, she is the National Police Chief Council (NPCC) national lead for Rape and Adult Sexual Offences (RASSO) in the current cross-Government review of the way the criminal justice system responds to rape.

As Chief Constable, Sarah has placed rebuilding public trust and confidence at the top of her agenda with Avon and Somerset’s corporate vision of delivering “Outstanding Policing for Everyone”. Her key objectives to achieving this vision include a relentless focus on the perpetrators of crime; openness to scrutiny; and a move towards becoming a trauma-informed organisation.

She continues to lead on the delivery of Avon and Somerset Police’s Inclusion and Diversity Strategy (2019-2024) and the organisation’s ambition to become the most inclusive police force in the UK, by building a representative workforce where difference is valued, and people thrive.

Sarah says:

“My drive for fairness and equality lies at the heart of my passion for policing.

“I have always been determined to stand up for the underdog and against the bully, and policing seemed to me to offer the greatest opportunity to help people directly on a personal, practical and human level. It’s also important to me to be part of a team with the same clear mission and values.

“I believe policing is about helping to create the conditions that help people and their communities to thrive and make life choices and opportunities better for everyone.

“I know policing cannot do this alone, but it certainly has a role to play in establishing safety, confronting those who threaten that safety and standing up for those within our communities who are less fortunate, less equipped or have a quieter voice.”

http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk

To support the site please visit  https://www.patreon.com/c/socialworldpodcast

A podcast is planned with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset looking at her perspectives and challenges.

Jonathan Singer , Professor of Social Work at Chicago Loyola University and presenter of The Social Work Podcast for over fifteen years co edits this excellent new publication.    Podcasting in Social Work Education.

https://www.amazon.com/Podcasting-Social-Work-Education-Educators/dp/1032215585/ 

Technology innovations have changed how social work educators teach and students learn. This book is designed to assist social work academics and educators in enhancing their students’ critical thinking, reflective capacity and skills in clinical and research settings through the integration of social work content podcasting.

Written by Mim Fox and Jonathan B. Singer―social work educators, practitioners, and hosts of the award-winning Social Work Stories Podcast and The Social Work Podcast, respectively―this book is an indispensable resource. It is packed with practical tips, insightful advice, compelling case studies, and helpful media links. Essential for all social work educators and practitioners, this book is essential reading for any social worker who is interested in podcasting in social work.

Jonathan B. Singer, PhD, LCSW is an internationally recognized expert in youth suicide and social work technology. He is Professor of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago, Past-President of the American Association of Suicidology, coauthor of two editions of the best-selling text Suicide in Schools: A Practitioner’s Guide to Multi-level Prevention, Assessment, Intervention, and Postvention, co-lead of the Social Work Grand Challenge “Harness Technology for Social Good,” and founder and host of the award-winning Social Work Podcast, for which he was named an NASW Social Work Pioneer in 2023. In 2024 he was inducted as a Fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research.

Dr. Singer has chaired national committees for the National Associate of Social Workers (NASW) and Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and served on advisory boards for Sandy Hook Promise, Jed Foundation, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. He is the author of over 90 publications and his research has been featured in national and international media outlets like NPR, BBC, Fox, Time Magazine, and The Guardian. Dr. Singer is a well-regarded speaker who has presented continuing education workshops, keynote addresses, and presentations on youth suicide, ethics, technology, adolescent development and attachment-based family therapy in the USA, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. In 2024 he was inducted as a Fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research. He lives in Evanston, IL with his wife and three children and can be found on X/Twitter as @socworkpodcast and Facebook at facebook.com/swpodcast.