Claire Hyland on compassionate approaches to leadership in social work

In this episode of Gamechangers | Changemakers, we're joined by Claire Hyland, the clinical lead social worker for mental health in regional South Australia. Claire shares her real-world strategies for balancing relationships, advocating for human rights, and staying true to social justice values… all while maintaining self-compassion as a leader.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The importance of maintaining self-compassion as a social justice leader
• Practical tips for clinical supervision and navigating tough conversations
• The role social workers must play in championing a human rights approach to mental health
• The importance of creating psychologically safe workplaces for mental health professionals

About Claire

Claire Hyland is an Advanced Clinical Lead Social Worker in mental health with 24 years of experience across South Australia, the UK, and metropolitan Adelaide. She’s passionate about human rights, reducing restrictive practices, and creating psychologically safe workplaces. Claire also trains others in supported decision-making and consumer-directed care. 

Resources mentioned:

• Crucial Conversations: A training framework for handling challenging and difficult discussions, written by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan & Al Switzler. Find the book online or in the library today.
• Brené Brown: An American social worker and author whose work focuses on vulnerability, courage, and shame. Read The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings on Authenticity, Connection, & Courage or listen to Brené’s The Power of Vulnerability TED Talk.
• Amy Edmondson: A Harvard Business School professor and author known for her work on psychological safety in the workplace. Read Amy’s Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams here: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2666999
• Daphne Houston Model: A model of reflective practice used in supervision: https://www.reflectivesupervision.com/

Want to dive deeper? Here are some more resources to explore:

• Emancipatory decoloniality as leadership in social service organizations: Insights from Indigenous and anti-oppressive yarnings, by Bindi Bennet, Donna Baines, Maresse Terare & Amanda Howard: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcaf104 
•  Imposter Syndrome in Social Work Practice: Clinical Considerations and Implications, by D. Apgar & L. Zerrusen: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-024-00971-w
• ‘Do you know the impostor syndrome?’ Professional identity among early-career social workers, by Y. Hochman, E. Segev & O. Shai: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2022.2061945 

Gamechangers | Changemakers is produced by UniSA and hosted by:

Associate Professor Michelle Jones

Cleo Riddy

If you want to get in touch, you can email: SocialWorkLeadersPodcast@gmail.com.