Care to chat? A podcast from the Northern Ireland Social Care Council

Social care is only for older people isn’t it? Well that’s not the case – good social care can also be transformative and change the lives of children and young people.

While social care is often associated with supporting older people, this conversation shines a spotlight on the dedicated professionals working within children’s services, helping young people stay safe, healthy and connected. From family support and disability services to residential care, early intervention and therapeutic work, the panel discusses the impact of children’s social care.

In this episode of ‘Care to chat’, host Wendy Austin explores the vital role of social care practitioners working with children, young people and families across Northern Ireland. She talks guests from Positive Futures and the Southern Health and Social Care Trust on why they decided to work in children’s social care and they their work is so important.

Tune in to be inspired.

In previous episodes we have followed the conception of the Care in Practice Framework (the CiP Framework), and the introduction of a brand-new level 2 qualification: Level 2 Certificate in Safe and Effective Practice. Much work across the sector has meant that this area of social care workforce reform is now showing the impact of these changes.
Finding a passion in social care as a career is something over 42,000 people in Northern Ireland are already doing. We welcome Paul Rooney, Professional Officer, Social Care Council, Drew Smiley, Social Care Manager, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Belfast Trust), John Muldoon, social care practitioner and Assistant Manager, Extern, Afonso Afonso, Homecare Operational Manager, Belfast Trust and Lyndsey Collins, Reablement Support Worker, Belfast Trust – all sharing their real-life insights, best practices, and career development tips and experiences of progression.  They talk about what they have noticed has changed in the last few years in terms of career development and progression, the impact of the new Level 2 qualification for individuals and for the broader system, reinforcing that social care is a meaningful, values-based career that can be a lifelong profession.

What are the next generation of homecare services going to look like and how homecare support people in communities to thrive at home?

These questions and more are addressed in this episode of ‘Care to Chat’ as part of an important discussion to have right now as the population in Northern Ireland ages, requiring more complex care in the community and more families are facing the reality of a loved one requiring care.

At the same time our health and social care system is transforming through the Department of Health’s Reset Plan and move to a Neighbourhood model of care. This will mean shifting services from hospitals to local communities, with social care, in particular homecare (which some people know as domiciliary care), becoming a vital vehicle for this change.

Joining our host Dr Wendy Austin MBE in the studio are Paul Rooney, Professional Advisor, Social Care Council, Linda Chapman, Home Care Supervisor and Katrina Ferran, Home Care Manager, with the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, and Ryan Williams Chief Executive, Connected Health.

Interested in hearing more? If you are a social care practitioner, and organisation who employs social care practitioners, or a policymaker, this will be of interest to you.

Tune in on Wednesday 27 May 2026 for the launch of the fourth season of our popular Social Care Council ‘Care to chat’ podcast with Dr Wendy Austin MBE returning as host to help tell stories important to the social work and social care workforce.

We start with a special episode focused on what it means to be a trauma-informed organisation with participants who have had different trauma-informed approach journeys, some with a lifetime of experience to share, others involved in supporting this key change across Northern Ireland and from social workers who are bringing a trauma-informed approach to life within their own organisations.

For those new to the term, it may sound jargonistic or too aspirational for the realities of daily practice but the opposite is true, it is an approach that seeks in an intentional way to understand, recognise and respond to the impact of trauma, to create safe and enabling environments for those we work with. There are lots of small steps that can be taken to work in a trauma informed way, this episode of 'Care to chat' will break it all down for you.

The 2025 ‘Care to chat?’ podcast concludes with a very special story. One area of social work practice we don’t often hear about is community development.  

We hear in the news about ethnic minorities, people seeking asylum and migrants in our communities – but there are real people behind these stories and it’s important to hear and really listen to what they have to say. 

Host Dr Wendy Austin MBE is joined by Megan who from Iran and seeking asylum in Northern Ireland whose named has been anonymised to protect her identify, supported by interpreter Mehdi Hooshmand, Clare McGrath, Principal Practitioner for Ethnic Minorities and New Entrants, Northern Health and Social Care Trust, and Christine Dunlop, a community volunteer from the Presbyterian church, who helped to welcome Megan to Northern Ireland. 

In this emotional final episode, our panel together explain how we need to greet people seeking asylum with compassion rather than fear, and the real people who together support people seeking safety, whilst challenging the misinformation and perceptions of people seeking asylum in our community – and instead see the talents and diversity they bring. 

An episode not to be missed! 

An end to another great season of Care to chat! 

 A big thank you to all the Social Care Council ‘Care to chat?’ podcast listeners for your continued support We will return with lots more important conversations in social care and social work in 2026. Have an idea for a future episode? Contact us on comms@niscc.hscni.net with your suggestions.  
  
Download, subscribe and listen to this episode and previous Episodes today here, or by searching ‘Care to chat’ in your podcast player.