Social Work Week 2026: It's all about AI

In the latest episode of Social Work Radio, Vince and Cara take on one of the biggest issues facing the profession right now: the growing role of AI in social work. From algorithmic risk scores and embedded decision-support tools to bias, transparency, consent, and the future of professional judgement, this episode explores what happens when technology starts shaping practice faster than many practitioners realise. It is a sharp, timely conversation about safeguarding the relational core of social work in an increasingly automated world, and why Social Work Week 2026 should be a moment for the profession to lead the debate rather than simply react to it. Created by social workers, for social workers. Join the conversation, every Friday morning.

In this episode of Social Work Radio, Vince and Cara take on some of the most persistent myths about social workers, from the damaging child-snatcher stereotype to the idea that social work is just a matter of having a kind heart. Together, they unpack the skill, scrutiny, and emotional weight the profession really involves, explore why so much of social work remains invisible to the public, and reflect on the quiet expertise needed to balance empathy with professional curiosity. Created by social workers, for social workers. Join the conversation every Friday morning.

In this episode of Social Work Radio, Vince and Cara take on a question that quietly sits in the background of the profession: do you need trauma to be a good social worker? They explore why lived experience is often seen as a badge of credibility, the real role empathy plays in practice, and the risks that come when personal pain becomes an unspoken qualification for the job. From the value of emotional literacy and supervision to the burnout risks of over-identification, the conversation unpacks what truly shapes effective practice - and why the profession needs a healthy mix of perspectives, not a competition over who has suffered the most. Created by social workers, for social workers. Join the conversation every Friday morning.

This week, Vince and Cara unpack the idea of duration neglect - the psychological blind spot that helps explain why social workers can see years of cumulative harm in a chronology while families experience life crisis-by-crisis and believe they are coping. This episode explores the gap between professional “montage” thinking and lived real-time experience, the way chronic low-level harm becomes normalised, and why neglect and long-term adversity are so often minimised in both practice and systems From practical implications for assessments and chronologies to a shift in tone from confrontation to curiosity, this is a thoughtful, reflective conversation about what it really means to ask: how can you not see this? Created by social workers, for social workers. Join the conversation every Friday morning.

In this episode of Social Work Radio, Vince and Cara unpack why Jeffrey Epstein isn’t the whole story. Moving beyond the fixation on famous names, they explore the wider networks of abuse, power and institutional failure that social workers recognise all too well. From the way harm is framed differently in wealthy circles and deprived communities, to how systems weigh risk when influence is involved, this conversation challenges listeners to look past spectacle and ask harder questions about safeguarding, accountabilit,y and whose voices get centred. Created by social workers, for social workers. Join the conversation every Friday morning.

Does it really take a village to raise a child, or is that a phrase we repeat without ever taking seriously? In this episode of Social Work Radio, Vince and Cara explore what the evidence says about how place, neighbourhood, and environment shape children’s lives, often as powerfully as parenting itself. Drawing on research and frontline experience, they reflect on how social work assessments can narrow responsibility onto parents, while wider factors like poverty, housing, and unsafe communities fade into the background. The conversation asks what it would mean to genuinely take environment seriously in practice, and how social workers can show greater empathy for families parenting in conditions most of us would not accept for our own children. Created by social workers, for social workers. Join the conversation every Friday morning.

In this episode, Vince and Cara turn their attention to a question many social workers quietly wrestle with: is it lonely at the top? Drawing on lived experience from both sides of the desk, they explore how poor management harms staff, the emotional weight and isolation that can come with leadership roles, and why moving into management is not - and should not be - the default marker of success in social work. The conversation ranges from micromanagement and burnout to power, safety, and what social workers can reasonably demand from those leading them, offering a thoughtful and honest look at a part of the profession that is often misunderstood. Created by social workers, for social workers. Join the conversation every Friday morning.

In this week’s episode of Social Work Radio, out hosts Vince and Cara turn their attention to the Maria Coto bill and what it could mean for social worker safety. Reflecting on the murder of child protective services worker Maria Coto in New York in 2024, the conversation explores why lawmakers are pushing for new criminal offences for assaults and threats against social workers, whether tougher laws genuinely make practitioners safer, or whether they mainly offer reassurance after tragedy. Drawing on UK and international perspectives, Cara and Vince unpack the uncomfortable tension between legal protections, practical safety measures, and the realities of frontline work, from lone-working systems to staffing pressures and organisational culture. Alongside the serious discussion, listeners should stay tuned for a lighter moment too - Cara has some wonderful news to share with Vince... Created by  social workers, for social workers. Join the conversation every Friday morning.

In this episode of Social Work Radio, Vince and Cara look ahead to what 2026 may hold for social work. Drawing on their experience from the past year, they explore the big themes likely to shape practice in the months ahead - from staffing pressures, cost of living impacts, and inspection changes, to political decisions, regulation, and the narratives surrounding the profession. Together, they reflect on how these forces may show up in everyday practice and what social workers are already beginning to feel on the ground. The conversation also turns to technology, AI, and how digital tools may realistically affect the job in 2026, balancing the promise of time-saving support against concerns about control and surveillance. Cara and Vince share their personal hopes, fears, and boundaries for the year ahead, before offering a direct message to listeners as they step into 2026.

In this end-of-year episode of Social Work Radio, Vince and Cara look back on the stories that defined social work across 2025, reflecting on the moments that sparked debate, concern and, at times, collective reflection within the profession. From viral social media controversies and high-profile safeguarding cases to regulatory decisions, workforce pressures, and questions of public trust, the episode revisits the headlines that shaped conversations month-by-month. Create by social workers, for social workers. Join the conversation every Friday morning.