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

• Learning and development – getting to know your Learning Zone

  Continuous professional learning and development is crucial in social work and social care to ensure practitioners maintain competency, adapt to evolving knowledge and best practices, progress in their careers and deliver effective services and better outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.  This podcast focusses on the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s Learning Zone, which is one of the biggest things it provides to those who register with them as the regulator for social workers and social care practitioners.  A panel of experts discuss the Learning Zone as host Dr Wendy Austin MBE sits down with, Laura Moffett, Manager, Mental Health and Learning Disability, Northern Health and Social Trust, Suzanne Cunningham, Assistant Director, Children’s Services, RQIA and Mairead Harkin, Workforce Development Officer who leads digital Learning for the Social Care Council. Hearing from Mairead who manages the Learning Zone, Suzanne who has been involved in using and developing resources for it and Laura who encourages her staff to access and use in to improve them practice, this discussion is an opportunity to bring depth to the conversation around why he Learning Zone as an innovative learning experience for the social work and social care workforce.  The Learning Zone is packed full of tools, inspiration, stories advice, and resources for the social work and social care workforce – check it out now and continue your own learning journey: learningzone.niscc.info.  

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• Wellbeing and support for social workers – Taking care of yourself, to take care of others

  Maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health is vital for everyone, but it’s particularly important for those working in caring professions, like social workers, who are often called upon to be resilient. Developing mindfulness, accessing support and selfcare practice is essential for preventing professional burnout for social workers. Does there need to be a cultural change in the social work profession? Many in practice are used to getting into hero mode to help other people, but the question is are they looking after themselves. There are several ways they can do this, and interventions and supports available to ensure they can take care of themselves so they can take care of others. Want to hear more? In this episode Dr Wendy Austin MBE sits down with Dr Alan Maddock, Lecturer, Dept of Health Psychology, School of Population Health, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Jeananne Jackson, Senior Social Worker, Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Carolyn Ewart, National Director, BASW NI and Janine Gordon, Divisional Social Worker, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.Remember it’s okay not to feel okay. Taking care of yourself isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

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• Calling it Out – Diversity and Racism in the Social Care and Social Work Workforce

  Racism is never acceptable in any form and when we hear about it happening to those people who support the most vulnerable in our community, it seems all the more appalling. Why do we need a diverse social work and social care workforce, and how can we ensure we protect those who are part of it? These are some of the big questions guiding this episode of the Care to Chat podcast.   In this captivating episode titled “Calling it out – Diversity and Racism in the Social Care and Social Work Workforce”, we welcome inspiring experts who have unique and relevant experiences and understanding of this complex issue, including why a diverse workforce is a strength and how important it is to do the work to ensure employers are able to support their staff when this happens.    In the studio with our host Dr Wendy Austin MBE, are qualified nurse Beverly Simpson, Co-chair of the Black and Migrant Workers Group in UNISON NI, Ineke Houtenbos, Senior Safeguarding Training Consultant and  the chair of the Black Worker Support Group, NSPCC, Aine Morrison, Chief Social Worker, Department of Health and John Patrick Clayton, Head of Bargaining and Representation, UNISON NI. Content warning: The episode deals with sensitive issues related to racism and other forms of discrimination. If this topic raises sensitive or triggering emotions for you, now may not be the right time for you to listen to it. Look after yourself when listening to this and ensure you seek support if you need it. 

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• Social care practitioners going above and beyond – Emily and Margaret’s supported living story

  Home is where the heart is. That is no truer than during this week’s podcast. Would you have associated a housing association with social care services? Dr Wendy Austin MBE guides the conversation in this episode to cover a variety of perspectives and insights into the world of supported living, disability housing and social care. She covers topics like…what is supported living? Why is it important? What is it like for those who live in supported living housing? And how come most of us don’t know that housing associations, like Triangle Housing, provide it as part of their social care services to the community – well at least until we might need them. What is clear to see is that individual housing choices, such as supported living, are a lifeline for many across Northern Ireland empowering people with a disability to plan where they live and call home. How can we help more people with disabilities live more inclusive lives in the community? Listen to find out!

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• ‘Recognising our worth’ – new developments in social care career progression

  The professionals who work in social care come from a wide range of backgrounds and work in a range of different settings which can be challenging and demanding. It is also true to say that there is an increasing complexity in the needs of the people they support. This means ensuring there is a well-led, skilled and valued social care workforce in place, is even more important.In this week’s ‘Care to chat?’ podcast we hear about what is happening to support this right now in Northern Ireland with significant developments underway, including the Department for Health’s (DoH) new Social Care Workforce Strategy and the Care in Practice (CiP) Framework. Dr Wendy Austin MBE hears from Ricy D’Cruz, a Care Assistant with Macklin Care Homes, Norah Christie, Head of Operations at Praxis Care, Mervyn Bothwell, a Professional Adviser with the Social Care Council and Jane McMillan, who is a Professional Social Work Officer, Office of Social Services at the Department of Health. They talk about their experiences and understanding of the new Care in Practice Framework (first of its kind) which has been designed to support social care practitioners to develop professionally by providing two interlinked pathways and the creation of a brand-new level 2 qualification. These reforms are a good news story of transformation taking place across health and social care.

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