Messy Social Work

What social workers get wrong in court: Insights from family barrister Gemma Chapman

In this episode, Richard Devine sits down with family law barrister Gemma Chapman to explore the intersection between social work, family justice and advocacy. Gemma sha

Rich and Tim relational skills, networks, theory and leadership in Family Group Decision Making

In the second part of their Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) series, Richard Devine and Tim Fisher explore themes six to ten, moving beyond process and practice into t

Rich and Tim on Family Group Decision Making: Power, participation and family leadership

In this episode, Richard Devine and Tim Fisher explore the first five themes of Family Group Decision Making (FGDM), unpacking the philosophy, values and practice wisdom

Peter Block: relationships, resistance and the relevance of 'Flawless Consulting'

Flawless Consulting by Peter Block has sold more than a million copies and is widely regarded as one of the most influential books ever written about consulting. But what

Lee Crouch, a parent with lived experience of reunification: what social workers need to know

Relational Activism: https://www.relationalactivism.com/ Rich Devine's blog: https://richarddevinesocialwork.com/about/ Tim Fisher LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.co

Practice lessons from the death of Victoria Marten (Part 2)

Relational Activism: https://www.relationalactivism.com/ Rich Devine's blog: https://richarddevinesocialwork.com/about/ Tim Fisher LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.co

Practice lessons from the death of Victoria Marten

Relational Activism: https://www.relationalactivism.com/ Rich's BASW Child Protection sessions: https://basw.co.uk/social-work-child-protection-professional-practic

Connecting Research: Why social workers turn a blind eye and avoid mental pain in child protection

Why do experienced professionals sometimes fail to see what is right in front of them? In this episode of Connecting Research, we explore Margaret Rustin's influenti

Rich and Tim on uncertainty, relationships and 14 lessons from practice

In this episode of the Messy Social Work Podcast, Rich and Tim discuss Richard's recent blog, 14 Lessons from 11 Years at Bath and North East Somerset Council, writt

Ex-undercover police officer on why the war on drugs is failing

In this episode, we’re joined by former undercover drugs officer Neil Woods to explore the ideas at the heart of his book Good Cop, Bad War. Drawing on over a decade work

Gareth K Thomas, foster carer, on trauma informed parenting

In this episode, we sit down with foster carer Gareth K Thomas to explore his experiences of caring for children who have lived through trauma, and what it really means t

Headlines from Mithran Samuel’s, and speak to social worker Ellen

Relational Activism: https://www.relationalactivism.com/ Rich's BASW Child Protection sessions: https://basw.co.uk/social-work-child-protection-professional-practic

Rose Byrne on her upbringing, caring for her sister and being diagnosed with ADHD

Relational Activism: https://www.relationalactivism.com/ Rich's BASW Child Protection sessions: https://basw.co.uk/social-work-child-protection-professional-practic

Maddy McCormack (Social Worker) on the realities of Child Protection Social Work

In this episode, we speak with Maddy McCormack, a social worker early in her career, about the realities of stepping into practice with children and families. Maddy refl

Sharon Shoesmith about Baby P, blame and learning from tragedies

 In this episode, we sit down with Sharon Shoesmith to revisit one of the most defining and contentious moments in modern child protection: the case of Baby P, and the na

An introduction to Systemic Ideas in Social Work with student Natasha Dube and author Liz Bosanquet

In this episode of the Messy Social Work podcast, we begin with a conversation with Natasha Dube, before Rich and Tim discuss Liz Bosanquet’s new book, Systemic Social Wo

BONUS Episode: Rich and Tim discuss time management (Part 2)

In this second bonus episode, Rich, Tim and Charlotte build directly on Part 1, turning their attention to the four remaining ideas from Rich’s blog on resilience in soci

Time management ideas that DEFINITELY & FINALLY allow you to get on top of your work

This episode explores time management as both a practical challenge and a lived experience in social work. Rich shares techniques such as Stephen Covey’s urgent and impor

BONUS Episode: Rich and Tim discuss what Rich learned from 6 years of journaling (Part Two)

This bonus episode picks up where the previous conversation left off. Rich and Tim return to six years of journals to explore the next three themes that emerged — the one

Rich and Tim discuss what Rich learned from 6 years of journaling

In this episode, Rich and Tim sit down with six years of personal journals and ask a simple but uncomfortable question: what actually changed? They focus on the first th