As a Social Worker, have you ever considered how you can support Disabled Adults to participate in physical activity?

Many Disabled People still face too many barriers to becoming more active. Research shows that Social Workers are actually extremely well placed to help break these barriers down, ensuring that Disabled Adults have the confidence, accessibility, guidance, and opportunities to live healthier, more active lives.

That’s the purpose of the Moving Social Work Programme – an initiative co-produced with Disabled Adults designed to equip Social Workers with the knowledge, skills, training and resources to help promote conversations about taking part in sport and other physical activity.

On today’s episode, we’re joined by three guests who have played an integral role in developing the Moving Social Work Programme. Amarjit Randhawa, a Qualified Social Worker and Manager of the Moving Social Work Programme at Disability Rights UK, Rachel Hill, member of the Disability Rights UK Co-Production Group and a Lived Experience Advisor across a number of organisations, and Cat Clements, Head of Disability at Sport England.

The discussion not only explores the programme and its production in detail, but also delves deeper into the challenges that Disabled Adults face and how Social Work Professionals can adopt the programme’s principles into their practice to make a positive difference in this area.

More information about Moving Social Work can be found here: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/moving-social-work-ensuring-physical-activity-disabled-people-human-right

Our thanks to James Ede at Be Heard Productions for producing the episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK is a nation of animal lovers, demonstrated by the growing popularity of pet ownership. People form strong attachments with their pets, making them an integral part of our homes, families, wellbeing and lives.

As a result, Veterinary Social Work is fast becoming a valued and recognised specialism across the world. Its purpose is to attend to the emotional, social, and psychological needs of pet owners and veterinary teams.

This episode of Let’s Talk Social Work delves into the model in detail, exploring how it should work in daily practice, the interplay between Social Workers and Vets, the expectations on both professions, and the challenges it throws up. The conversation also considers how Social Work professionals can embed greater consideration of pets in their assessments and when building relationships with people.

Host Jonny Adamson is joined by the UK's first Veterinary Social Worker, Rebecca Stephens, and dual Qualified Social Worker and Vet Surgeon, Yasmin Amer. They discuss the link between abuse of animals and people, animals as a strategy of coercive control, pet poverty and loss, and whether Veterinary Social Work can become a thriving specialism in the UK similar to other countries.

Our thanks to James Ede at BeHeard Productions for producing the episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sharp drop in support that young people in the care system experience when they turn eighteen is described as a ‘cliff edge’.

It poses a daunting and anxious prospect for care leavers across the UK, who are often expected to navigate the world alone at a point in their life when they need stability, security, guidance and care.

This presents challenges on a number of fronts – from unsuitable housing options, to lack of employment and training opportunities, risk of poorer health outcomes, and the social isolation caused by state support basically vanishing overnight. Devastatingly, care leavers are seven times more likely to die before the age of 25.

We all know the care cliff has to end. But what exactly needs to happen? Why aren’t national governments doing more? And how can social work play its part? Let’s Talk Social is pleased to welcome three members of Shared Lives, a UK charity for people living and working in Shared Lives Care or Home-share, to unpack this urgent topic.

We’re joined by Rachel Leslie, a Qualified Social Worker who currently works as Strategic Advisor for Care Leavers and Transitions at Shared Lives Plus, Gracie Rhodes, a Care-experienced Ambassador who lives in a Shared Lives arrangement after experiencing homelessness at the age of 17, and Mary Stokes, Senior Project Lead for the Young People Leaving Care Programme, registered foster carer and Shared Lives carer having journeyed the transition to adulthood alongside the young person she supported.

They offer practical and policy-based solutions to the multitude of challenges that care leavers might face, discuss how they work alongside social workers around the country to support positive transitions from care for young people with additional needs, and they speak directly to professionals and policymakers about the types of differences they can make to support and champion young people in care everyday.

Our thanks to James Ede at BeHeard Productions for producing the episode. Links to resources produced by Shared Lives mentioned in the episode are available below.

• Shared Lives for care leavers, transitions and young adults - Shared Lives Plus - https://sharedlivesplus.org.uk/our-work/care-leavers-programme/
• Care Leavers Short Films | Shared Lives for Young People - https://sharedlivesplus.org.uk/our-work/care-leavers-programme/short-films/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.