Care to chat? A podcast from the Northern Ireland Social Care Council

• Talking about a child’s journey to adolescence and beyond

  Helping children and young people thrive – as they say it can take a village. In this final episode in the ‘Care to chat’ 2024 podcast series we are talking childhood development and sharing practical advice and ideas for supporting children and young people to improve outcomes for them and their families. In particular a number of resources available on the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s Learning Zone which aim to support and build knowledge, skills and confidence for those social work professionals and others navigating the early childhood and adolescence development landscape.  Our host hosted by Dr Wendy Austin MBE speaks to experienced social work professional and academic Mary McColgan, Emerita Professor of Social Work at Ulster, and Laura Durkan, Social Work Student who is entering her final year at Belfast Met, who has had experience working with children and young people before she started to study social work.  This episode focusses on what are some of the resources available to support social work practice in child development and how they can be used in their practice, with a new resource now available.   Are you interested in child development?   Whether you are a social worker, social work student, a professional working in education, youth and community work, early years/childcare, health and social care or a parent/care giver, or a young person yourself, you can access a number of resources about this on the Social Care Council’s Learning Zone.  ‘Care to chat?’ will return with lots more important conversations in social care and social work in 2024. Have an idea for a future episode? Contact us on [email protected] with your suggestions

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• What valuing and keeping the social care workforce looks like

  Like other professions, in social care the recruitment process is not just about getting a person for a vacancy – the person has to have the right values to work in social care and to match with the organisation they are going to work for.  So, what is value-based recruitment in social care and why is it important? And what does good retention look like in practice?  If you are an employer that has staff from the social care workforce these questions are very relevant to you. The answers are in this week’s episode of ‘Care to chat?’, where you can find out actions you can do to ensure the staff you recruit will want to stay, thrive and build lasting careers in social care.   This episode our host Dr Wendy Austin MBE talks about this important issue for employers with special guests: Dr Shirley Boyle, Lecturer, Open University, Paul Rooney, Professional Advisor, Social Care Council and Caitilin Robinson, Homecare Area Manager, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust.  During the episode you will find out why this approach to recruitment and retention has proven to be particularly effective in the social care sector and tips you can put in practice so you can keep those who are there for the right reasons – to improve the lives of the people they support.  Do manage staff and social care and could do with some help? You can access the new Values-based retention toolkit on the Social Care Council’s Learning Zone. 

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• Why social work: How to become a social worker?

  In our latest ‘Care to chat?’ podcast, discover how to get into social work as a career in Northern Ireland and learn more about the qualifications, skills and experience you'll need.   Our panel of experts explain from their own experiences why they decided to embark on a social work career and what they love about it. They tell us that there is ‘more than one chance’ or pathway into social work and what it is really like to be a social work student in training towards one of the most rewarding careers there is.    Host Dr Wendy Austin MBE is joined by Catherine Maguire, Head of Workforce Development, Northern Ireland Social Care Council (also a registered social worker), newly qualified social worker Ioan Racasan, current social work student Niamh Quinn and senior social worker Caragh McLaughlin, Head of Community Social Work, Western Health and Social Care Trust.   Wendy asks the questions so you don’t have to about what preparation you need to do before you apply for the Degree in Social Work in Northern Ireland, where you can study and what support is available.   A must listen for any budding social worker. Let your career journey start here.   Feeling inspired? For more information on how you can train to be a social worker in Northern Ireland check out our Interested in becoming a social worker? page. 

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• A conversation about social work and justice

  The criminal justice system is complex and can be a difficult thing for the public to understand if they have not had first-hand experience of it. Therefore, it is understandable that the role of social work practice in the justice sector is similarly not well understood.  This week’s podcast sees host Dr Wendy Austin MBE, sit down with two social workers who practice in the justice sector. Guests Robyn McVeigh, a Probation Officer with the Probation Board for Northern Ireland Ashley Galloway, a Floating Support Social Worker with criminal justice agency Extern, talk through their experience working in what is a complex and life changing area of social work practice, where their day to day work and the work of their colleagues can change an individual or a family’s life trajectory for the better. 

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• ‘Letting us into their lives’ – Kerry’s story about career progression in social care

  When thinking of a lifelong, exciting and fulfilling career in healthcare, social care may not be the first profession that comes to the mind of many. However, social care is currently going through a process of redefining career pathways in the profession and many working in social care know it is just as an exciting and important job-for-life prospect as other areas of the integrated health system in Northern Ireland. In this episode Dr Wendy Austin MBE, sits down with Positive Futures Director of Operations, Kerry Mallon, to talk about her own 20-year career journey in social care from starting as a support worker, to moving into different areas of practice, to becoming a manager and social care leader in her own right. Feel inspired? You should be. Listen on to hear how Kerry’s real-life insights might inspire you to start your journey working in social care, or if already work in social care to take that next step in your career.

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