Learn on the go: the Community Care podcast

Welcome to Learn on the go, the podcast from Community Care Inform, where we discuss the issues affecting social workers and social care practitioners. This episode looks at county lines and child criminal exploitation. Discussing this is Adam Elliott, founder of The Long Game, a youth-led intervention to reduce young people’s risk of exposure to these forms of modern slavery. Adam uses his lived experience to highlight how children and young people are groomed, exploited and manipulated into county lines. At about 1 hour and 20 minutes, this is an extended edition of Learn on the go but we feel it is justified. Adam’s story is hard-hitting and, at times, difficult to listen to but it is full of information and tangible red flags that have to be heard to be understood. We realise that it’s a commitment on your part to sit with his story to the end but you will find nuggets of learning all the way through. If you’re finding it difficult to listen to, you may want to take a break and come back to it. We’d like to remind you to practise self-care and use supervision and peer support if you’ve been affected by this episode. Questions were asked by Natalie Valios, senior content editor, Community Care Inform Adults. 00:01:45 – Life before county lines 00:03:44 – Stereotypes and vulnerabilities 00:06:52 – Being groomed 00:08:53 – Dropping off the first package 00:13:13 – Early warning signs 00:14:59 – How county lines operate 00:23:13 – A community problem 00:25:52 – Asking for help 00:27:52 – Trap houses 00:34:51 – Hope of escape 00:38:40 – Facing prison 00:42:57 – Knife and chemical attacks 00:48:53 – Victim of modern slavery 00:51:27 – Parents’ suspicions 00:54:39 – Arrest on 18th birthday 01:01:44 – Missing out on life 01:07:51 – Contextual safeguarding 01:10:07 – Family support 01:11:20 – Importance of knowing the slang 01:13:55 – Misconceptions 01:18:08 – Crime and Policing Bill 01:19:18 – Life now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode focuses on welfare benefits and support in England and Wales. The welfare benefits system is designed to provide financial support to individuals and families in need. However, according to a report published in 2025 by Policy in Practice, over 7 million households in the UK are missing out on benefits and support due to limited awareness, complexity in the benefits system and stigma around claiming. These barriers are found to often overlap and disproportionately affect people already facing other disadvantages, including carers, disabled adults, older people on low incomes, single parents and people without strong social networks. Discussing this topic is Gary Vaux, the author of Community Care Inform's Benefits A-Z knowledge and practice hub. Gary has been involved in welfare rights for many years and until recently managed a team of local authority benefit and debt advice workers. His background includes training and writing on welfare benefit rules and policies, and he was also chair of the Social Security Advisers Group at the Local Government Association. Questions are asked by Gemma Balmford, content editor at Community Care Inform Adults. Subscribe to the Learn on the go series to stay up-to-date with new episodes. Look out for the final episode in Season 2, which will be released at the end of February 2026. Links to resources mentioned in this podcast AdvicenowAge UKBenefits and WorkCC Inform's benefits A-ZChild Poverty Action GroupCitizens AdviceContactDisability Rights UKentitledtoMencapMINDMotor Neurone Disease AssociationPolicy in PracticeRightsnetRNIBRNIDScopeTurn2Us

Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast, where we discuss the issues affecting social workers and social care practitioners. This episode focuses on eating disorders in adults and the support that occupational therapists can provide. Beat, the UK's eating disorder charity, estimates that 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder and, contrary to popular belief, about a quarter are male. Discussing this subject is Abigail Cardwell, the lead occupational therapist for eating disorders at the South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust. Abigail is also a clinical associate trainer for Beat and co-chair of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists' eating disorders specialist network. Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses affecting people of all ages, genders, ethnicities and backgrounds. Behaviours can include limiting the amount of food eaten, eating very large quantities of food at once, getting rid of food eaten through unhealthy means or a mixture of any of these. They can cause serious harm physically, mentally and emotionally and, sadly, in some cases can be fatal. But despite being such serious illnesses, they are treatable and people can make a full recovery with the right support. We want to give a warning about the content in this episode. We'd encourage you to look after yourself while listening and use supervision and peer support if it brings up anything difficult for you. And if you’re worried about your own or someone else’s health, you can contact Beat, the UK's eating disorder charity, on 0808 801 0677 or visit the website beateatingdisorders.org.uk Questions are asked by Natalie Valios, senior content editor at Community Care Inform Adults.

In this episode, Philip Heslop, assistant professor of Social Work at Northumbria University, explores the vital topic of engaging fathers within the child protection system. In this discussion, Philip Heslop shares insights from his decades of experience regarding why fathers are often overlooked or excluded in social work practice, despite representing a significant portion of the population. The conversation explores the consequences of this exclusion for children and families, examines how gendered assumptions and bias influence social work decisions, and discusses practical, relationship-based approaches social workers can use to effectively engage with men, including those perceived as 'resistant'. Philip Heslop also addresses the legal and systemic factors, such as legislation and resource constraints, that either help or hinder inclusive practice with diverse family structures, including kinship carers and stepparents. In this episode, Philip mentions recources for practitioners and parents including the Fatherhood Institute, the Family Rights Group and the North East Young Dads and Lads Group. Questions are asked by Gillian MacFarlane, content editor, Community Care Inform Children.

This episode looks at the barriers faced by women who want to exit prostitution. Discussing the issue with us is Carol, who has lived experience of prostitution and whose name we have changed to protect her identity. Carol was subjected to prostitution for 50 years before successfully exiting in her 60s. She wanted to share her story to highlight the complexities that can result in women being exploited through prostitution and what is needed to help women exit. The number of people involved in prostitution in the UK is difficult to quantify due to its hidden nature and the absence of any survey on a national level. However, estimates suggest that over 72,000 individuals are exchanging sex for money or other benefit of need, with the overwhelming majority of them being women. Women subjected to prostitution often have extensive experiences of trauma, abuse and male violence, and experience addiction and poor mental and physical health as a consequence. We want to give a content warning: Carol talks about child sexual abuse, suicide attempts, drug addiction and trauma. We'd encourage you to look after yourself while listening and use supervision and peer support if this episode brings up anything difficult for you. If you're supporting a woman subjected to prostitution and are interested in contacting nia about its specialist exiting services and refuge provision, visit the prostitution page on its website or call 07880 230 516. Women can access nia's service if they are over 18 and currently involved in prostitution in London. They can refer themselves or be referred by an agency. Questions are asked by Natalie Valios, senior content editor, Community Care Inform Adults.

This episode focuses on working with ‘parental conflict’ (this is the phrase we tend to hear, though we discuss that there may be more helpful language we can use). Terminology aside, it’s clear that professional involvement in the very personal dynamics of a couple’s relationship and how it may be impacting their child or children can be extremely challenging and uncomfortable for both the parents and practitioners. So we wanted to bring you some practical advice and guidance on doing this type of work with families. Our guest sharing some of her experience and expertise Jude Gordon. Jude has been a practitioner and service manager in local authority and voluntary sector settings, working with children, young people and families. Until earlier this year, she led the Reducing Parental Conflict programme at Relate. This included different forms of relationship support for parents and carers; training for professionals who work with families; and developing AI tools to help couples and co-parents communicate more effectively an understand how their children may be feeling Jude is now a project manager within the child poverty team at the North East Combined Authority, which covers seven local authority areas. The discussion includes anonymised examples of working with a family, supporting families with the systemic and practical challenges that can contribute to conflict, working with separated couples and co-parents, useful resources and self-care for practitioners. Jude emphasises relational, authentic practice, and keeping in mind cultural and family structure differences. Links to resources Jude mentions: Relate's 'Sounding board' bot that can help parents (partners or co-parents) who are having disagreements to write texts and emails or prepare for conversations'In the middle' bot (also from Relate) helps parents understand how their child/ren of different ages may understand their parents' relationship and how they may feel.Tool to find local servicesReducing Parental Conflict online communityKnowledge HubOne Plus One:Race Equality Foundation parental conflict toolkit Related resources on CC Inform All our podcast episodesBenefits A-ZHousing knowledge and practice hubCost of living: sources of helpGuide to shame and recognising how it may present in children (and adults) in the child protection systemDomestic abuse knowledge and practice hub

This episode focuses on leadership skills and style - in particular the crucial role of feedback which can sometimes be seen as mainly about staff performance and a less comfortable or even fear-inducing aspect of any kind of leadership or supervisory role. Our guests today are keen to discuss and demonstrate how feedback is a much broader part of developing your own leadership style and something that can help build trust, transparency and supportive culture in your team or particular context. They share examples from their own experience to help pracitioners, supervisors and managers at all stages think about developing their own leadership. This epsisode is part of our leadership knowledge and practice hub on CC Inform Children which has been produced with Frontline, that charity that is perhaps most known for its fast-track local-authority based training programme for new child protection social workers, but also runs leadership development programmes for managers and those aspiring to be managers in children’s services. The speakers are: Anjuli Obaro, curriculum lead at Frontline Delin Dixon, independent social worker, experienced foster carer, consultant and trainer Yinka Olaniran, service manager for a local authority independent reviewing and child protection conference service, and facilitator Further links: Radical Candor In 6 Minutes With Kim Scott (YouTube video) Radical Candor (book) CC Inform leadership knowledge and practice hub CC Inform Management knowledge and practice hub CC Inform Supervision knowledge and practice hub

Season 1, episode 5. This episode is about how to safeguard children with special educational needs and disabilities from sexual exploitation. We’ll be discussing recent research and findings related to modern slavery and the heightened risk that children with SEND are at across England and Wales, as well as the importance of early identification and working with the whole family. Our expert guest is Sarah Goff – associate researcher at Manchester Metropolitan university. Questions are asked by Gillian MacFarlane, content editor, Community Care Inform Childrens. Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast. Subscribe to the Learn on the go series to stay up-to-date with new episodes. Look out for the next episode in Season 1, which will be released at the end of June. Meanwhile, you can join Community Care's Social Work Community for careers guidance, private discussion rooms with fellow social workers and even more podcast episodes. Resources Research study - Internal trafficking of children with SEND Research stufy - Early identification of exploitation of children with SEND

Season 1, episode 4 This episode focuses on dealing with change and loss as a result of becoming physically disabled as an adult, and how practitioners can support individuals who are coming to terms with the impact of disability on their body and their lives. The guest is Rebecca Regler, a lived experience worker. Rebecca qualified as a social worker 10 years ago but didn’t get the chance to put her training into practice because soon after graduating she was diagnosed with the connective tissue disorder Ehlers Danlos syndrome, which left her unable to work. Rebecca discusses the emotional impact that can occur from unexpectedly becoming disabled as an adult; how it can affect mental health; the loss of identity, including professional identity and how someone perceives themselves within relationships; the financial implications; and how social care professionals can provide support and advocacy to help adults at such a difficult time. Questions are asked by Natalie Valios, senior content editor, Community Care Inform Adults. Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast: ADD LINK HERE Subscribe to the Learn on the go series to stay up-to-date with new episodes. Look out for the next episode in Season 1, which will be released at the end of May. Meanwhile, you can join Community Care's Social Work Community for careers guidance, private discussion rooms with fellow social workers and even more podcast episodes.

This episode discusses perinatal mental health. Approximately one in five women in the UK experience mental health issues during pregnancy and up to one year after birth, and if left untreated they can lead to long-lasting effects on mothers, infants and the wider family. In recent years, significant funding has been invested in specialist perinatal mental health services but there are disparities in access to these services and experiences with health and social care professionals. This episode explores the role of social workers in perinatal mental health, the risk factors of developing perinatal mental illness and the red flags to look out for that may indicate a new or expectant mother is struggling with perinatal mental health issues. The guests are Tara Mitchell, a registered social worker and operations manager of the perinatal mental health service at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and Wan Abdullah, a mother with lived experience of perinatal mental illness. Asking the questions is Gemma Balmford, assistant content editor, Community Care Inform Adults. Subscribe to the Learn on the go series to stay up-to-date with new episodes. Look out for the next episode in Season 1, which will be released at the end of April. Links Royal College of Psychiatrists MBRRACE-UK Tavistock and Portman The perinatal mental health elearning programme Maternal Mental Health Alliance

This episode disucsses domestic abuse within young people's relationships. It explores the intricicies around age and statutory and voluntary support services available for young people. This episode provides practical tips on how practitioners can address risks with young people and their parents/carers - such as how to structure conversations, and the key indicators of risks that shoud be considered when working with young people who are at risk of, or who have experienced abuse. Multiple assessment tools are discussed, along with various specialist services. The guest is Jenifer Lamadrid, an experienced social worker, who has been trianed within domestic violence and abuse services. Jenifer has previously worked as an IDVA (independent domestic violence advocate), and has a key interest in working with young people at risk of, or who have experienced, abuse. Asking the questions is Gillian MacFarlane, content editor, Community Care Inform Childrens. Assessment tools and specialist services mentioned: Safe Lives Brook Sexual Behaviours Traffic Light Tool BAMBUUU Respect Young People's Service Women's Aid Victim Support - Support Space Subscribe to the Learn on the Go series to stay up-to-date with new episodes. Look out for the next episode in Season 1, which will be released at the end of March.

This episode discusses the issues around mental capacity and suicide, and what has been called the ‘you’ve got capacity to choose to kill yourself phenomenon’. The guest is Alex Ruck Keene, an experienced barrister, writer and educator. His practice at 39 Essex Chambers is focused on mental capacity, mental health and healthcare law, in which he has appeared in cases at all levels up to and including The Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.Alex is the creator of the website Mental Capacity Law and Policy, which provides resources and expert commentary on some of the most difficult mental capacity issues.In March 2022, Alex was made an honorary KC, reflecting his contributions to mental capacity and mental health law outside the court room. NB: Any views expressed by Alex are his alone and not those of any organisations he is associated with. Asking the questions is Natalie Valios, senior content editor, Community Care Inform Adults. We’d encourage you to look after yourself while listening and use supervision and peer support if this brings up anything difficult for you.And if you’ve been affected by this episode, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123.

This episode of Learn on the go is about domestic violence and abuse. It covers what domestic violence and abuse is; the various forms it can take, and how to risk assess and make referrals. This episode explores a domestic violence risk assessment tool called the CAADA DASH, as well as the purpose and importance of multi-agency risk assessment conferences known as MARAC, and how these are used to bring professionals together to support victims of domestic abuse. The expert guest is Jenifer Lamadrid, a senior social worker for a London borough where she also serves as a MARAC representative for children’s social services. Jen mentions she has worked as an IDVA. This is an independent domestic violence advocate, someone who supports victims and is separate from police and social services. The questions were asked by Gillian MacFarlane, content editor at Communty Care Inform.

Ethan’s in his early 30s now. He was in foster care from the age of five and then in children’s homes from the age of 11. In this conversation we speak about staying in touch with and seeing family members while in care. You'll hear the word ‘contact’ quite a bit - the word that was very much in use when Ethan was young. We hope this makes sense when you listen, while we know practitioners today increasingly recognise the importance of using language that suits the individual child, whether that’s 'family time' or something else. Ethan speaks about his experiences of different types of ‘contact’ – including visiting his parents in jail, supervised sessions with his grandparents and siblings, goodbye meetings with other siblings who were adopted, and unsupervised time with his parents as he got older. He shares his thoughts on how professionals can support children and young people with the complexity of wanting and valuing connection with family, while dealing with what can be its extremely challenging emotional impact. Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast here: https://www.ccinform.co.uk/practice-guidance/podcast-transcript-the-emotional-impact-of-contact-ethans-experience/ You can watch the video interview Ethan did with Jenny Molloy spoke about his experience of being taken into care, and the social workers who made the biggest difference to his life here: https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/10/26/choose-social-work-they-helped-me-escape-the-life-i-was-living-as-a-teenager/ Ethan believes strongly in the importance of sharing lived experience of different aspects of being a child in care to help improve practice with young people today and speaks at training events for social workers and other professionals. If you would like to get in touch with Ethan, please email ccinformhelpdesk@markallengroup.com and we can pass a message on.

Welcome to Learn On The Go, the podcast from Community Care Inform where we discuss research, theories and practice issues and look at what they mean for social care practitioners. In this episode we talk to Jenny Molloy, motivational speaker, trainer, care leaver and bestselling author of three books with a fourth about to be published. Her first book, Hackney Child, written under the pen name Hope Daniels, describes Jenny’s childhood and how at the age of nine she walked into Stoke Newington police station with her two younger brothers and asked that they be taken into care. Both their parents were addicted to alcohol, their mother was a sex worker, and they’d experienced neglect, malnourishment and poverty. When she was 19, Jenny decided to read her social services files, where she discovered that both her parents had also been in care and had experienced traumatic childhoods. So it is testament to Jenny’s strength of character that she not only conquered her own alcohol addiction, but achieved her childhood dream for her future: that her children be raised in a safe, loving, family home and have a "normal life", breaking the cycle of children in care having their children go into care. Ordinarily, Jenny talks and trains about life as a child in care, and issues around care leavers and childhood trauma. On this occasion, Jenny is talking about how childhood trauma can play out in adulthood, and how she relapsed and then recovered when it happened to her. We do want to give a content warning: Jenny talks about her attempted suicide, being sectioned, and time in a psychiatric hospital. We know it can be difficult to hear about people’s trauma so we’d like to remind you to practise self-care and use supervision and peer support if this has brought up anything difficult for you. And if you’ve been affected by this episode, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. During the interview, Jenny references the Lambeth Children's Homes Redress Scheme, which you can read about here. And she also mentions the National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS). The questions were asked by Natalie Valios, senior content editor at Community Care Inform Adults. 0:02:37.3 - The three triggers 0:10:10 - The psychiatric hospital 0:17:49.8 - Recovery 0:20:53.1 - Adult mental health services 0:27:36.9 - Healing 0:31:23.7 - Advice for social workers 0:33:41.4 - The future 0:37:05.8 - Hope

In this episode, Helen, a facilitator of The Freedom Programme which supports victms and survivors of domestic abuse, and two other mothers with lived experience spoke to Jenny Molloy, bestselling author, motivational speaker and care leaver about their experiences with children's services and what support is most helpful for people in abusive relationships. The conversation was recorded on location at Trevi, the charity that supports women and children. As well as community support for women and children, Trevi runs Jasmine's Recovery Centre, a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre exclusively for mothers and their children. We recorded a separate episode about mothers experiences of social work connected to substance use. You'll find the episode in the podcast feed. Full transcripts of both episodes and supporting materials are available to Community Care Inform subscribers at ccinform.co.uk.

In this episode, Helen, Vicky and Hannah, spoke to Jenny Molloy, bestselling author, motivational speaker and care leaver about their experiences of children's services as mothers using, and in recovery from, drugs and alcohol. They share what did and didn't help them, and what they would like social workers to understans. The conversation was recorded on location at Jasmine Mother's Recovery Centre, part of Trevi, the charity that supports women and children. Find out more about the centre and Trevi's work here: https://trevi.org.uk/services/jasmine-mothers-recovery/ Some of the women touch on the fact that many women who have experienced trauma and drug and acohol addiction have been in abusive relationships. We recorded a separate episode about mothers experiences of social work connected to domestic abuse. You'll find the episode in the podcast feed. Full transcripts of both episodes and supporting materials are available to Community Care Inform subscribers at ccinform.co.uk. Content warnings. While these are stories with positive outcomes, there are brief mentions of attempted suicide, domestic abuse, difficult childbirth, and women also speak about their older children being removed. We’d encourage you to use supervision and peer support if this episode brings up anything difficult for you, and generally to look after yourself while listening.

In this episode, two expert guests discuss media coverage, blame and shame of social workers. The guests are Dr Liz Frost, associate professor of social work at the University of the West of England, and Dr Maria Leedham, senior lecturer in applied linguistics at the Open University. They discuss Maria’s research into mentions of social workers in UK newspapers and TV dramas, why media coverage almost entirely focuses on child protection, and whether there are signs that this negative bias might be changing. The questions were asked by Ruth Hardy-Mullings, head of content at Community Care. Links https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/10/12/how-negative-perceptions-of-social-workers-are-reinforced-in-the-media/ https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/07/05/sharon-shoesmith-how-social-workers-can-get-their-professional-pride-back/https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/08/08/you-can-literally-change-a-young-persons-life-an-18-year-olds-message-for-social-workers/

In this episode, we discuss the social work role in working with girls and women affected by female genital mutilation (FGM) and safeguarding children at risk. Our two guests bring their perspectives from both practice and research to try and help increase practitioners’ knowledge and confidence. You’ll hear about ways to keep anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice, personal reflection and supervision central to your work – both to avoid stigmatising and causing further harm to affectees, and to build trust and relationships with individuals and communities to reduce risk. The guests are: Maureen Mguni, a senior lecturer and researcher in social work at the University of West London (UWL) who has worked with women and girls affected by gender-based violence for most of her practice and research career, currently researching the experiences of people affected by FGM and their engagement with social workers in the UK; and Zelia Camelo. During one of her placements while studying social work at UWL, Zelia worked with a young person who had experienced FGM and she discusses what she did and what she learned. The questions were asked by Joanna Silman, senior content editor at Community Care Inform Children. Areas covered: 02.03: Addressing common misconceptions and myths about FGM 06.31: Use of language with affectees and children at risk and their families – examples of anti-oppressive questions to ask instead 12.50: Zelia’s experience working with a 16-year-old Somalian female during her placement, and the direct work she carried out. The girl had undergone FGM at a young age. The law and interactions with health services are also discussed 24:37: Why social workers need to reflect on FGM as a political issue – the role of racism, understanding the mandatory reporting duty, working with male expectations in communities as well as with women 31:15: Concluding messages for practice Links https://www.ccinform.co.uk/guides/guide-to-female-genital-mutilation-for-social-work-professionals/https://www.uwl.ac.uk/staff/maureen-mgunihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIzOlmLG8A4&t=3286shttps://www.basw.co.uk/resources/fgm-direct-work-toolkithttps://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-texthttps://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss the latest research, practice models and policy guidance and what they mean to your practice. This episode looks at the Care Quality Commission's new duty, under the Health and Care Act 2022, to assess how local authorities are meeting their Care Act duties. The assessment framework has nine quality statements mapped across four overall themes: working with people; providing support; how the local authority ensures safety within the system; and leadership. Discussing this CQC role in more depth are Mary Cridge, director of adult social care at the CQC, and Amanda Stride, the CQC’s deputy director for delivery of local authority assessments. The questions were asked by Natalie Valios, senior content editor for Community Care Inform Adults. 0:01:19.6 - the testing process. 0:02:55.7 - when will the assessments start? 0:03:36.0 - what will happen once the two-year period has finished? Will there be a rolling programme with a certain number of authorities assessed every year or will you only assess those which receive a ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ rating? 0:04:26.3 - how much advance notice will a local authority be given that they’re going to be assessed? 0:05:12.9 - it’s easier to envisage what leaders will need to do to prepare for an assessment, but will there be anything that frontline practitioners will need to do? 0:06:07.8 - what will be the ratio of in-person inspection versus reviewing evidence and data? And will you be observing social workers in practice as Ofsted does in its assessment of children’s services? 0:07:40.9 - what reassurance can you give about the single word grading system? 0:08:58.3 - will the CQC speak to frontline staff without managers present, or let them give their views anonymously during assessments? 0:09:39.8 - with councils under such tremendous pressure in social care, and that pressure affecting each authority differently, how will the CQC take this into account in its judgments? 0:10:33.8 - the assessment framework says that the CQC will be looking at whether councils have arrangements for ensuring timely assessments, care planning and care reviews. How will timeliness be judged? 0:11:22.7 - how far will the CQC be able to judge a council’s level of compliance with the sections of the Care Act it's assessing? 0:11:56.6 - does the Department of Health and Social Care have plans to bring in a system of intervention in authorities found to be failing by CQC? 0:12:36.6 - what professional expertise or expertise by experience will your inspectors bring to bear in assessing local authorities? 0:13:24.7 - how will adult social care benefit from these CQC assessments?