Decolonising Social Work Field Education

Why should social work students care about the profession’s colonial history? In this episode, hosts Dr. Sharlotte Tusasiirwe and Dr. Abigail Joseph Magwood speak with Dr. Sonia Tascone to uncover how colonialism continues to shape social work education, practice, and knowledge today. Through global perspectives from Australia, Germany, Uganda, and the UK, they explore Eurocentric curricula, language dominance, racialized power dynamics, and the marginalisation of Indigenous ways of knowing. The conversation highlights the importance of discomfort, embodiment, and creative expression in decolonising practice.

In this episode, we go beyond England’s Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) to explore its limitations in addressing global social justice and culturally diverse perspectives in social work field education. Hosted by Henglien Lisa Chen, our guests Phyllis Ngai and Shabnam Ahmed share insights on Indigenous rights, UNDRIP, and the need to challenge Western-centric frameworks. They offer practical strategies for educators and students to adopt more inclusive, critically reflective approaches to placement learning. The episode highlights specific ways UK social work education can engage with global and Indigenous knowledge systems.

What does it mean to practise social work rooted in culture, community, and collective care? In this episode, guest Thierry Kwizera, a social worker from Burundi, joins host Henglien Lisa Chen to explore how community-led models challenge dominant Western frameworks. From gender-based violence interventions to environmental social work, Thierry shares how culturally grounded, group-based approaches create space for empowerment and healing. Together, they reflect on the importance of centering local voices, respecting cultural norms, and resisting top-down international aid. A powerful conversation for anyone reimagining social work beyond individualism and towards sustainable, community-based change.

How do immigration, trauma, and colonial legacies intersect in gender-based violence policy and practice? In this episode, host Professor Nishi Mitra Vom Berg speaks with Yvonne Tyree, a UK-based social worker with over 30 years’ experience supporting migrant survivors. Together, they explore honour-based abuse, trauma-informed care across cultures, and how power, privilege, and policy gaps shape frontline realities. With deeply reflective storytelling, Yvonne shares practical ways to decolonise field education, reframe advocacy, and work relationally with survivors. A powerful listen for social work students, educators, and practitioners committed to equity and systemic change.

What does it mean to decolonise and rehumanise social work field education? In this episode, host Catherine Ellis speaks with Wayne Reid from the British Association of Social Workers. Together, they explore how colonial legacies persist in field placements and how tools like Woolly Racism and Shades of Bias can support reflection and change. The discussion highlights the need for psychological safety, critical reflection, and collective responsibility. Give it a listen and you will be reminded of your power to challenge injustice and reimagine social work practice grounded in equity, dignity, and transformative learning.

Decolonising Social Work Field Education is a podcast that brings together students, educators, and practitioners to reflect on how colonial legacies continue to shape social work placements in the United Kingdom.It began with a rigorous scoping review by our international team and aims to open space for honest conversations that often fall outside lectures or placement reviews. Across the series, we speak with people from around the world who bring lived experience, critical insight, and bold ideas.Episodes explore power, identity, resistance and change while offering space to reflect, be challenged, and imagine new possibilities for social work education.The series ensures active participation by our student co-hosts Tina Odu and Eleanor Hogan, who share their questions and reflections at the beginning and end of each episode.This international project is co-produced through a decolonising lens, actively centering diverse voices and lived experiences to challenge conventional knowledge hierarchies. Funded by the European Association of Schools of Social Work, it's Led by Assoc. Prof. Henglien Lisa Chen (University of Sussex, UK) & Produced by Mitali Kulkarni.