In this episode I explore one of the most persistent and unhelpful narratives in social work; that there is a hierarchy of practice, and that unless you have done your time in child protection you have not done real social work.

Drawing on my own experience moving from family facing practice to conference chair to independent social worker and trainer, I reflect on the guilt that comes with changing direction, the false divide between academia and practice, the overlooked contribution of adult social work, and why social work needs to see itself as an ecosystem rather than a ranking system.

Professional identity is fluid. Your version of social work matters. This episode is for anyone who has ever questioned whether what they do counts.

Disclaimer: This podcast is hosted by Vicki Shevlin, an independent social worker and safeguarding consultant. Content is intended to support professional development and reflective practice. It is not a substitute for supervision, statutory guidance or your organisation's policies and procedures.

Lets connect!

To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email [email protected]

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Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin

Instagram.com/@vickishevlin_

Youtube.com/@socialworksorted

Facebook.com/socialworksorted

Disclaimer

Thank you so much for listening. 

Please rate, review and share with one other person - it makes such a difference and I really appreciate your support.

In this episode I'm talking about one of the most consistent findings across serious case reviews; the invisible child and giving you one practical thing you can take into your next home visit immediately. Inspired by Harry Ferguson's new book Making Child Protection Work, I'm focusing specifically on direct work with infants and why greeting a child first, even a sleeping baby, matters more than you might think. This isn't about blame or shame. It's about small shifts that make a real difference. When considering whether to wake a sleeping child during a visit, always refer to your local authority policy and statutory guidance.

If you're interested in training for your local authority, organisation or team, I work with a range of organisations across the UK delivering skills-focused safeguarding and social work training. Get in touch at [email protected] or find the link to book a conversation in the show notes.

This podcast is hosted by Vicki Shevlin, an independent social worker and safeguarding consultant with over ten years of experience. The content is intended to support your professional development and reflective practice. It is not a substitute for good quality supervision, statutory guidance, legislation, or your organisation's policies and procedures. Always refer to your local authority guidance and relevant statutory frameworks when making practice decisions. Nothing in this podcast constitutes formal legal or professional advice.

Lets connect!

To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email [email protected]

Sign up to my free newsletter

Listen to The Collective Podcast  


Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin

Instagram.com/@vickishevlin_

Youtube.com/@socialworksorted

Facebook.com/socialworksorted

Disclaimer

Thank you so much for listening. 

Please rate, review and share with one other person - it makes such a difference and I really appreciate your support.

 In this episode, I'm reflecting on my own unexpected experience of having a record written about me, not as a social worker, but as a home educating parent. It's a small, almost comedic example, but it stayed with me, and it raises big questions about accuracy, context, and what families actually feel when their words are recorded without them. I'm also sharing my thoughts on what the Families First changes and updated Working Together guidance mean for social workers in practice, and why legislative change without investment in skills is just paperwork with a new name. 

Lets connect!

To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email [email protected]

Sign up to my free newsletter

Listen to The Collective Podcast  


Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin

Instagram.com/@vickishevlin_

Youtube.com/@socialworksorted

Facebook.com/socialworksorted

Disclaimer

Thank you so much for listening. 

Please rate, review and share with one other person - it makes such a difference and I really appreciate your support.

In this episode, I’m joined by Power 2 Prevail to explore what it really means to work with young people, not just around them.

We talk about the power of youth work, how professional hierarchies can silence lived experience, and why “listening” isn’t the same as genuine inclusion.

Together, we explore how care-experienced young people can and should shape training, learning and development, not as a token gesture, but as valued experts in their own lives.

This conversation is about power, voice, and what changes when we take young people seriously in practice, in systems, and in ourselves.

Connect with Jade:

Linkedin: Jade Barnett 

Instagram: @power2prevail_

https://power2prevail.co.uk/

Lets connect!

To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email [email protected]

Sign up to my free newsletter

Listen to The Collective Podcast  


Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin

Instagram.com/@vickishevlin_

Youtube.com/@socialworksorted

Facebook.com/socialworksorted

Disclaimer

Thank you so much for listening. 

Please rate, review and share with one other person - it makes such a difference and I really appreciate your support.

Have your home visits started running to two hours… but nothing is actually changing?

In this bite-sized episode, I share a powerful reflection from inside The Social Work Collective Academy following a live masterclass on Staying Connected When Conversations Are Hard.

We talk about:

• Why naming the time you have is a professional skill
• How unclear time boundaries increase burnout
• Why shorter visits can still be high-quality
• How boundaries help families feel safer
• The link between containment, regulation, and emotional safety

This isn’t about rushing people.
 It isn’t about being rigid.

It’s about calm, confident containment.

If you’re leaving visits drained, struggling to end meetings on time, or feeling like you’re giving more than you have — this episode is your reminder:

You are allowed to name the time.

The Staying Connected masterclass is now inside The Social Work Collective Academy.

Lets connect!

To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email [email protected]

Sign up to my free newsletter

Listen to The Collective Podcast  


Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin

Instagram.com/@vickishevlin_

Youtube.com/@socialworksorted

Facebook.com/socialworksorted

Disclaimer

Thank you so much for listening. 

Please rate, review and share with one other person - it makes such a difference and I really appreciate your support.

January doesn’t need to be a fresh start on the 1st and social work doesn’t get easier when we set ourselves (and families) impossible expectations.

In this episode, I’m sharing my phrase for the year - one thing at a time - and why it matters for attention, overwhelm, and realistic planning (in practice and in life). 

I also share what I’ve been reading lately, how it’s shaping my training, and I introduce an exciting new addition inside the Social Work Collective Academy: the Practice Pause Library: short, guided pauses designed for real social work moments (before home visits, during overwhelm, and after heightened situations).

I’ll also leave you with five small, realistic ways to create space when January feels heavy  including why three minutes can be enough to shift your day.

Timestamps: 

00:00 Welcome back + permission for a slow start to January

01:26 Plans, pressure, and unrealistic expectations (in life + in practice)

04:57 Phrase of the year: One thing at a time (attention + multitasking myth)

12:21 What I’ve been reading (fiction + nonfiction) + why it matters

24:09 What’s influencing my training right now (mind-body, mindset, calm first)

26:21 New inside the Collective Academy: the Practice Pause Library

30:53 Five ways to feel less overwhelmed in January

40:57 What’s coming next (free reset + direct work + guests)

42:57 Closing Practice Pause

Lets connect!

To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email [email protected]

Sign up to my free newsletter

Listen to The Collective Podcast  


Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin

Instagram.com/@vickishevlin_

Youtube.com/@socialworksorted

Facebook.com/socialworksorted

Disclaimer

Thank you so much for listening. 

Please rate, review and share with one other person - it makes such a difference and I really appreciate your support.

This episode was unplanned but necessary.

After receiving my Spotify Wrapped for the podcast, I noticed something that stopped me in my tracks: many listeners of Social Work Sorted were also listening to summaries of The Let Them Theory.

In this episode, I unpack why the idea of “just letting them” doesn’t sit comfortably with me as a social worker, an advocate, or a human living in a collective world. While self-help narratives often encourage us to stop people-pleasing and focus inward, I explore how this can quickly slide into passivity, hyper-individualisation, and a quiet acceptance of harm.

We talk about power, privilege, social justice, and why “letting them” is not a neutral act - especially in a profession rooted in advocacy and collective responsibility.

This is not about attacking individuals or books. It’s about being clear on our values.

Sometimes, the most radical thing we can do is not let them.

Lets connect!

To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email [email protected]

Sign up to my free newsletter

Listen to The Collective Podcast  


Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin

Instagram.com/@vickishevlin_

Youtube.com/@socialworksorted

Facebook.com/socialworksorted

Disclaimer

Thank you so much for listening. 

Please rate, review and share with one other person - it makes such a difference and I really appreciate your support.

In this episode, I’m talking honestly about Christmas – both as a person and as a social worker. I share my own complicated relationship with the festive season, from hypervigilant childhood Decembers to slowly reclaiming pockets of joy with my own children (yes, including my very extra homemade advent calendar).

Then we look at Christmas in practice: how to protect your own energy in December, set realistic non-negotiables, and gently let go of the traditions and expectations that are stressing you out. I’ll also walk you through some practical reflections for the children and families you work with – from contact/family time and foster carer support, to poverty, gifts, domestic abuse and safety planning that actually means something.

If Christmas feels heavy, complicated or lonely this year, this episode is here to remind you that you’re not alone, and that joy and risk can co-exist – in your life and in your practice.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Finding my Christmas footing (and my intro)
Rusty with podcasting, updates on The Social Work Collective Academy, and the Ofsted masterclass invite.

10:00 – Christmas + you as a social worker
Complicated feelings about Christmas, reparenting, boundaries, non-negotiables, and letting go of festive pressure.

40:00 – Christmas for children and families in practice
Contact/family time, poverty and presents, domestic abuse, safety planning, and holding both risk and joy in social work.

Lets connect!

To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email [email protected]

Sign up to my free newsletter

Listen to The Collective Podcast  


Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin

Instagram.com/@vickishevlin_

Youtube.com/@socialworksorted

Facebook.com/socialworksorted

Disclaimer

Thank you so much for listening. 

Please rate, review and share with one other person - it makes such a difference and I really appreciate your support.

 In this episode, I’m talking directly to Designated Safeguarding Leads about supervision – what it is, what it isn’t, and why you absolutely need it in your role.
 I share three key things every DSL needs to know about supervision, including the difference between emotional containment and therapy, why you don’t need someone to “tell you what to do”, and why supervision won’t always feel comfortable (in the best possible way).

 If you’re a DSL with no supervision, or you’re not sure your current support is right for you, this episode will give you clarity – and language to start the conversation in your school. 

Enquire about Independent Supervision and wraparound Safeguarding Support 

Lets connect!

To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email [email protected]

Sign up to my free newsletter

Listen to The Collective Podcast  


Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin

Instagram.com/@vickishevlin_

Youtube.com/@socialworksorted

Facebook.com/socialworksorted

Disclaimer

Thank you so much for listening. 

Please rate, review and share with one other person - it makes such a difference and I really appreciate your support.

In this week’s episode, I’m sharing a story that unfolded in my local park — one of those moments where instinct, practice experience, and humanity collided.

After intervening in what appeared to be a domestically abusive situation, I walked away thinking about the one message every child, every adult, and every social worker needs to hear more often:
“It’s not your fault.”

In this episode, I talk about:
 • Why this message matters more than we realise
 • How systems, culture and upbringing shape our silence
 • The tension between speaking up vs staying quiet
 • The role social work skills play when things unfold in real time
 • How we help children (and ourselves) disconnect shame from experience
 • The importance of naming abuse with clarity, confidence and compassion

Inside the Social Work Collective Academy, we’re exploring confidence, regulation and reflective practice through our 12-week Confidence in Practice Journey — and this episode connects deeply to that work.

If you want weekly guidance, bitesize practice support, domestic abuse training, court skills, child protection process refreshers and access to our December Masterclass on OFSTED, you can join the Academy anytime here. 

Lets connect!

To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email [email protected]

Sign up to my free newsletter

Listen to The Collective Podcast  


Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin

Instagram.com/@vickishevlin_

Youtube.com/@socialworksorted

Facebook.com/socialworksorted

Disclaimer

Thank you so much for listening. 

Please rate, review and share with one other person - it makes such a difference and I really appreciate your support.

Why are we still doing things for Ofsted?

 Why do we hear, “Make sure your case notes are up to date — for Ofsted”?

In this episode, I explore how inspection culture shapes the way we work and how it can create fear instead of reflection. With grounded takeaways for directors, managers, and practitioners, this episode looks at how we can rebuild calm, confidence, and purpose within our organisations.

Join me for the live Managing Ofsted, Regulation & Change masterclass  free for members of The Social Work Collective Academy.

 🗓️ Tuesday 9th December, 7:30–9:00pm (UK)

TICKETS FOR DECEMBER: 

www.socialworksorted.com/liveevents

Join The Social Work Collective Academy 

www.socialworksorted.com/collectiveonline

Lets connect!

To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email [email protected]

Sign up to my free newsletter

Listen to The Collective Podcast  


Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin

Instagram.com/@vickishevlin_

Youtube.com/@socialworksorted

Facebook.com/socialworksorted

Disclaimer

Thank you so much for listening. 

Please rate, review and share with one other person - it makes such a difference and I really appreciate your support.