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Care to chat again? Second series of seminal podcast for social care and social work kicks off

29 May 2024

The Northern Ireland Social Care Council (the Social Care Council) has launched its second season of its podcast series, ‘Care to chat?’.

Started last year and hosted by Dr Wendy Austin MBE the ‘Care to chat’ podcast series returns with each episode supporting important conversations for the social care and social work workforce and the work of regulation in those professions in Northern Ireland.

The second series features 11 episodes on a broad range of topics including: advice on how to become a social worker, social work practice in the justice sector, child development, loneliness, how social care workers make a difference in the community and progress their careers.

The first podcast episode ‘By social workers, for social workers’ – a leadership framework for social workers, which drops today, focusses on social work and leadership. There is a big conversation going on across the social work profession, around the Social Work Leadership Framework, a framework to help shape how leadership applies to social workers in Northern Ireland and how it makes a positive impact on their practice.

It features Aine Morrison, Chief Social Worker, Department of Health, Marita Magennis, Assistant Director for Social Work and Social Care Governance, Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Eileen McKay, Deputy Executive Director of Social Work, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and Louise Kearney, Children’s Services Manager, Action for Children. They answer questions about what the Leadership Framework is and why it’s important for social work to have one.

Social Care Council Chief Executive Patricia Higgins said everyone is excited to share this new season:

We are incredibly excited to kick off the second season of ‘Care to chat?’ following the success of our first series. Elevating the voices of social care and social work is part of the mission of ‘Care to chat’ to become a more inclusive and responsive podcast for the workforce and the community. Our partnership with our valued colleagues be that social care workers, social workers, sector leaders or service users, helps us reach more people with their stories and better serve our diverse and curious listeners.

Aine Morrison summarises it very well when she says:

As Chief Social Worker, I was thrilled to be part of the programming for the ‘Care to chat?’ podcast. The series aligns with the Department of Health’s work supporting the development and recognition of the social care and social work workforce, and broadening understanding of the important role they play in the community by sharing the latest knowledge and best practices.

Find out more by subscribing to the Social Care Council’s ‘Care to chat’ podcast channel. New episodes released fortnightly. Available on Spotify, Google podcasts, Apple podcasts and the ‘Care to chat’ show page on our website: niscc.info/care-to-chat-podcast.

Episode 1: ‘By social workers, for social workers’ – a leadership framework for social workers
(32 minutes)


For more information:

For suggestions, questions or feedback about the ‘Care to chat?’ podcast, email comms@niscc.hscni.net.

For media queries contact: Rita McCullagh, Head of Strategic Communications and Engagement on rita.mccullagh@niscc.hscni.net or call 07874682049.


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