The Relational Social Work Podcast
The Relational Social Work Podcast is aimed at child and family social workers. Relationships are central to social work practice and this podcast focusses on the importance of connection and relationships in social work ‘with’ children, young people and their families, exploring this through meaningful conversations with inspiring leaders from across the sector. The podcast will celebrate excellent and innovative practice ‘with’ amazing children, young people and families, and have honest conversations about some of the struggles which we can face in children and family social work. There will be a minimum of one episode released every month.
Your Hosts:
Matt Clayton
Matt has led and developed a number of services within Coventry primarily around children in care and care leavers. Matt has a reputation for innovative practice with young people at the center. This has included leading on the BAFTA nominated documentary Superkids and follow up Channel 4 show Kids, piloting the first automatic water bill discount to care leavers and the rollout Lifelong Links in Coventry. Matt is passionate about the importance of maintaining and promoting loving relationships for children in care and has had strategic oversight of Coventry’s reunification work as part of this. Matt was recently invited to write the foreword to the NSPCC and Action for Children joint national report: Home again: reunification practice in England. Matt is the ADCS member of the Family Justice Council and Vice Chair of the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum steering group. Matt also Chairs the Adoption Central England Executive Board. After 20 years of neglecting himself, Matt has rediscovered his teenage love of being active outside, having just complete couch to 5k! When Matt isn’t working or running, he enjoys watching football and supports Liverpool.
Hannah Bedford
Hannah qualified as a social worker in 2013, following in her father’s footsteps. Hannah has a passion for practice and practice leadership and has held several roles with a focus on practice development, both in practitioner and management roles. This has including being involved in the development of Coventry’s Social Work Academy, being a Child Sexual Abuse Practice Lead and most recently leading on Coventry Family Valued; a whole-system culture change programme in Coventry, which has led to the safe reduction of the number of children in care in Coventry, against rising numbers of looked after children nationally. Hannah is passionate about restorative practice and has led on the development of Coventry’s practice approach; with a focus on working ‘with’ children and their families, rather than doing ‘to’ or ‘for’ them. Apart from being a proud social worker, Hannah loves dungarees, loves cats and dogs (equally), and supports Liverpool F.C.
Episodes
65 episodes
Does the term “permanence” help or hinder outcomes for children: Family Justice Council Debate (Part 2)
Following on from last week (if you haven’t listened we would recommend you start there), this week we bring you the second part of the Family Justice Council Debate. This week you will hear questions from those who were at the debate, hosted b...
Does the term “permanence” help or hinder outcomes for children: Family Justice Council Debate (Part 1)
This weeks’ episode is something a bit different from our usual format. From the sunshine of Matt’s garden, Hannah and Matt listen back to the Family Justice Council Debate which Matt was a part of in December. This episode brings you this deba...
Putting enduring relationships at the heart of reform: Jarrod Wheatley
It’s the first episode of Series 6, and Hannah and Matt kick it off with some football chat before being joined by Jarrod Wheatley (CEO at Professional Individualised Care). This episode explores how Professional Individualised Care has built o...
ADCS Presidency - Passing the baton: Rachael Wardell and Ann Graham
It’s the final episode of series 5! Hannah and Matt are joined by Rachael Wardell and Ann Graham during the week that Rachael’s ADCS Presidency comes to an end and Ann’s begins. This episode explores what the ADCS has achieved over the past yea...
What does the future of social work look like?: Lisa Harris, Farai Kanengoni, Mike Hayward, Kieron White and Neil Thompson
This episode was recorded with a live audience at the Social Work Show in Birmingham. Hannah and Matt are joined by Lisa Harris (Director at Birmingham Children’s Trust), Farai Kanengoni (Operational Lead, Coventry Children’s and Education Serv...
A citizen advocacy approach to supporting people with a learning disability: Clare Wightman and Mel Smith
The intro for this episode was recorded in week two of Coventry’s Ofsted inspection, and starts with Matt and Hannah’s sleep deprived ramblings. Luckily the interview was recorded pre-Ofsted, and Hannah and Matt are joined by Clare Wightman, CE...
Technology, AI and Family Law: Family Justice Council Conference
Coventry got the Ofsted call so this episode is a bit different. Matt is with us for the intro, and then handed over the reigns to Hannah and Producer Arin who popped to the Family Justice Council Conference in Birmingham, where the theme was ‘...
From York With Love: The Care Leaders Summit
This episode was recorded at The Care Leaders Summit in York. The episode starts with Luke Rodgers, Founder and CEO at The Care Leaders, telling us about The Summit. Hannah and Matt are then joined by Karla George (Founder of The Baloo Project)...
Making Child Protection Work: Harry Ferguson
This episode starts with Hannah and Matt talking about reforms to fostering (and caramel lattes). Matt and Hannah are then joined by Harry Ferguson to talk about his latest book, ‘Making Child Protection Work’. The episode explores how over tim...
Innovative Practice in Children's Services: West Midlands ADCS Network
This episode was recorded at the West Midlands ADCS Network, Innovate and Grow Conference and explores some exciting innovations happening across West Midlands region. The episode is packed full of guests, with Hannah and Matt joined by Sandeep...
Engaging Fathers: Scott Mair
This week Hannah and Matt are joined by Scott Mair, Founder and Director of Fatherhood Solutions and advocate for neurodiverse families and father-inclusive practice. This episode explores the perception of services being designed with mothers ...
Theorising Practice: Dr Neil Thompson
In this episode Matt and Hannah are joined by Dr Neil Thompson, social work academic, award winning author and educator. This episode explores the importance of theory in social work practice, and the concept of theorising practice, rather than...
What do the reforms mean for care experienced young people: Chloe Grant and Matt Blow
In this episode Matt and Hannah are joined by Chloe Grant, Director of Services, and Matt Blow, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, at Become. This episode explores the work that Become does as an organisation, participation, what the Children’s...
Child to parent abuse: Michelle John
In this episode Hannah and Matt are joined by Michelle John, child to parent abuse expert by experience and the founder of PEGS. This episode explores what child to parent abuse is, its prevalence, research into child to parent abuse, and what ...
Can multi-agency child protection teams be relational?: Lisa Hackett, Jerome Harvey-Agyei and Kam Kaur
It's the first episode of Series 5! We are kicking off the series with an episode that was recorded with a live audience at Compass Jobs Fair in London. Hannah and Matt are joined by Lisa Hackett (Director and Chief Social Worker at Frontline),...
Christmas Special
It’s our Christmas Special and Producer Arin has a mic and is in charge! This episode is nothing like our other episodes, with minimal discussion about social work. However, it does have a Christmas quiz and a Christmassy(ish) story read by Han...
Jerome Harvey-Agyei: Stories of Love
It’s a The Relational Social Work Podcast first, with this episode being recorded in a broom cupboard. Hannah is joined by Jerome Harvey-Agyei, Co-Founder of The Tope Project and Youth Participation Lead at The Mayor of London’s Violence Reduct...
Jade Barnett: Power2Prevail
In this episode Matt and Hannah are joined by Jade Barnett, co-founder, CEO and Director at Power2Prevail Community. This episode explores how Jade turned her care experienced activism into an idea to support care experienced young people in Lo...
Madlug Pop-Up Experience: A Celebration of National Care Leavers Month
This episode was recorded live from the Madlug Pop-Up Experience in Leeds as part of National Care Leavers Month. Hannah and Matt are joined by three incredible care leavers, Leigh, AJ and Scarlett, as well as Dave Linton (Founder and CEO of Ma...
Rachael Wardell (Part 2): Update from the President in association with ADCS
In this episode Matt is joined by Rachael Wardell, President of the Associate of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), to discuss what has happened during her presidency. The discussion includes progress with the social care reforms, child p...
Mary Jackson: Social work leaders
In this episode Matt and Hannah are joined by Mary Jackson, Chief Executive at Frontline. This episode explores what Frontline does as a charitable organisation, through the qualifying programme and support for newly qualified social workers; l...
Sophie Clarke, Joanne Smith and Scott Darragh (Social Enterprise UK): Rethinking residential care
This week Hannah and Matt are not only joined by guests, Sophie Clarke, Managing Director at We Are Juno, Joanne Smith, Interim Head of Commissioning at Liverpool City Council Children and Young People Services, and Scott Darragh, Chief Executi...
Jonny Hoyle: Staying in the family business
In this episode Matt and Hannah are joined by Jonny Hoyle, care experienced social worker, and Group Manager for Leaving Care at North Yorkshire Council. This episode explores Jonny’s personal and professional experience, from being in care to ...
Katia Parent: Supporting Mothers in Prison
In this episode, Hannah and Matt are joined by Katia Parent who is a social worker who works for the Prison Advice and Care Trust. This episode explores the pilot that Katia has been a part of, having social workers in women's prisons, to suppo...
Dr Lorna Stabler: Kinship Care Week Special
In this episode Matt and Hannah are joined by Lorna Stabler, Research Fellow at CASCADE(Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre). This episode explores Lorna’s personal and professional experience of kinship care, from her ...