In this final episode in the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s ‘Care to chat’ 2023 podcast series hosted by Dr Wendy Austin MBE, we are taking another look at social work and human rights specifically in the context of children’s safeguarding and young people in care. Experienced professionals contribute to the discussion including Jane Hynes, Senior Social Worker, Learning and Improvement Team, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Geraldine McGuigan, Manager, Voypic, Suzanne Cunningham, Assistant Director of Children’s Services, RQIA and Dr Nazia Latif, Right Practice. This episo ..read more

On the latest episode of ‘Care to chat?’ podcast, we welcome the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s Senior Leadership Team to talk about the role of the Social Care Council, and the value of regulation for social workers and social care workers and most importantly for people receiving care and support. As the Social Care Council reaches the end of its 21st year, Dr Wendy Austin MBE is joined by Patricia Higgins, CEO, Marian O’Rourke, Director of Regulation and Standards and Declan McAllister, Director of Registration and Corporate Services. She encourages them reflect on their own career ..read more

On the latest episode of ‘Care to chat?’, a podcast from the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’, tackles the topic of ‘Compassionate leadership’ and why this is so important right now. Prof. Michael West, CBE Professor of Work and Organisational Psychology at Lancaster University, contributes alongside senior leaders from across health and social care in Northern Ireland who are working on your behalf to help the system work better for us all. Dr Wendy Austin MBE explores how compassion towards service users, colleagues and yourself, creates compassionate cultures in health and social ensur ..read more

Here’s a question – what do you think of having social workers based in schools? In the latest episode of the Social Care Council’s ‘Care to chat’ podcast Dr Wendy Austin MBE and guest discuss this relatively new specialist area of social work practice in Northern Ireland which is providing a unique support service to students. We hear from Principal of Abbey College, Maria Quinn, Dylan Sloan a social worker working in her school, and to talk with Colin Reid from the Education Authority about social work practice in schools. Dr Wendy Austin once again asks the questions that matter to find out ..read more

Northern Ireland has changed a great over the last 25 years, and as the Good Friday Agreement reaches that milestone, it is timely that we look at the social care and social work workforce as part of a diversity and inclusive workforce across Northern Ireland. In the latest ‘Care to chat’ podcast episode, you can hear reflections about what equality, diversity and inclusion mean to the social care and social work workforce and where the challenges lie. Our host Dr Wendy Austin MBE speaks to Professor of Social Policy at the Ulster University, Professor Ann-Marie Gray and Paul Rooney, Professio ..read more

What does human rights social work mean for both service users, their families and for social workers themselves in practice? In the latest ‘Care to chat’ podcast episode, tune in to hear from Dr Nazia Latif, who has worked with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and how runs her own organisation, Right Practice, that provides advice to help organisations meet their equality and human rights commitments. She tells us about an important aspect of social work practice – human rights. Dr Wendy Austin MBE discusses with Nazia her career to date, what human rights is and why is it importa ..read more

Those who know best about the difference that social care makes are the people who receive it. In the latest episode of ‘Care to Chat’ we hear from 11-year-old Cillin and his mum Trisha from Enniskillen who are supported by Rhonda Knox, a Community Support Worker from Positive Futures. Dr Wendy Austin discusses how they work together to ensure Cillin continues to develop and grow to his full potential and the great support they have from this community-based service.  ..read more

Everyone’s journey into working in social care is different. None more so that Dr Wendy Austin’s latest guest Issadin Ahmed. In a new episode of the Social Care Council ‘Care to chat’, we hear about Issadin’s story, as a young 28-year-old Somalian asylum seeker who recently gained his first role in social care through a pilot collaboration between the Social Care Council and Princes Trust, encouraging young people into social care.  ..read more

In our first episode, we hear directly from people who have worked in social care about their experiences, the different kinds of professional routes they have taken into and out of social care, how they developed their careers, why social care is for them and what’s influenced their professional practice. This episode features Teresa Miles a Social Care Manager from Belfast Central Mission, Elaine Pollock, currently a social worker with the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust and Maggie Conlin a social care worker based at Lakeland Community Care in Omagh ..read more

In our third episode our host Dr Wendy Austin speaks to a team of Social Care Council staff and experts behind the development of a resource for social care workers that aims to support their resilience and wellbeing. Never heard of neurolinguistic programming? This resource shows how this therapeutic approach an make a difference to social care workers in their day-to-day practice and we hear why this resource was developed in the first place. Find the resource here: Resilience and Well-Being for Social Care Workers and Social Workers (niscc.info ..read more