Helpful Social Work Podcast

Welcome to another episode of ARM-OUR or OUR-ARM, the podcast hosted by me, Shantel Thomas, founder of the Anti-Racist Movement (A.R.M.). Today, we have a special one-on-one conversation with Shirleecia Ward—a remarkable woman with an incredible story and purpose. Shirleecia is an African-Caribbean mother of two daughters, a dedicated researcher, and a senior lecturer at Leeds Beckett University. Her passion lies in amplifying the voices of Black women and ensuring that their lived experiences are represented in academic literature. Shirleecia’s groundbreaking research focuses on giving Black mothers the space to share their personal stories about raising children in a racialised society. In this episode, we’ll explore her work, which delves into the hopes, concerns, and wisdom these mothers have for their children. We’ll also discuss how her research aims to bridge the gap between personal experiences and professional practices by sharing these valuable insights with communities and practitioners who work with children and families. Get ready for a heartfelt and enlightening conversation with Shirleecia Ward—this is one you won’t want to miss! NB: This is one of three episodes recorded during the summer 2024. Weekes, A.P., Ward, S. and Mguni, M. (2024) “Beyond tokenism: activism, resistance and rebellion,” Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-04-2023-0105.

In this episode - C-our-rage or See Our Rage - we focus on the interplay between courage and anger in light of the "Race Riots" of August 2024. Courage is the 4th of 4 core values of A.R.M and we explore how our collective anger against injustice becomes a source of strength, fueling our courage to confront racism head-on. We'll examine the balance between rage, resilience and vulnerability, and how these emotions are essential to sustaining the fight for justice. Take a listen and leave a comment.

In this episode, we delve into the heart of social work, focusing on the vital role of connection. We explore how taking the time to rest and rejuvenate can actually strengthen the bonds we build with those we work for and with. We share practical strategies, powerful stories from the field, and discuss the intersection of rest, connection, and social justice. Join us as we reflect on how rest not only nurtures us as individuals but also empowers us to forge stronger, more meaningful connections in our work. Let's discover together how embracing rest can be a radical act of resistance and a cornerstone of effective social work.

In our final podcast of series 8, we do our annual review of the year in social work. We are joined by Sylvia and Shantel from the Anti-Racism Movement, who are taking over as hosts. We reflect on the way social workers have responded to events over the last year and share our hopes for the future.

We continue our series on sustainable social work by looking at how social workers can practise authentic self-care. We discuss how self-care is really a shared endeavour with peers, and the importance of seeing it as activism for good social work. We are excited to be joined by Shantel Thomas and Sylvia Smith, who will be taking over as hosts in April.

We continue our series on sustainable social work by discussing how good managerial support can help social workers to thrive. We look at how to build relationships of trust, including through the use of intersectionality.

We continue our series on sustainable social work by discussing the importance of wider support from the social work profession. We talk about how being part of a national and global community of social workers inspires us, encourages us and makes us think about what we stand for.

We continue our series on sustainable social work by exploring how professional development helps us to thrive as social workers. We talk about how learning can bring joy and growth, and how to get the most out of continual professional development.