After a two-and-a-half week break, I’m back on the podcast with an honest catch-up — and a list of my recent “failures.” From not getting shortlisted for an award to forgetting suncream, I’m sharing how reframing failure has been a game changer for me, both in social work and life. Whether you’re newly qualified or years into practice, this is your reminder that failing means you’ve tried — and that’s something to be proud of. Lets connect! To book in a free 15 minute chat with m...

If you’ve ever wondered exactly what The Social Work Collective Academy is and how it can help you as a newly qualified social worker (or someone supporting them), this episode is for you. I’m taking you inside the Learning Hub — explaining how it works, the gaps it fills in early career training, and the practical tools that will help you feel both competent and confident from day one. Whether you’re about to start your ASYE, currently on placement, or guiding new social workers, you’ll disc...

This is for you if you are a newly qualified social worker who has just been allocated their first family to work with. That stomach-drop moment? It's completely normal—and I'm here to walk you through it. Inside this episode: What to do immediately after seeing that first family in your inboxHow to process the nerves, self-doubt, and emotional overwhelmThe simple but vital question to ask: what area of the law am I working under?Why clear supervision is essential—and how to confidently ask f...

In this episode I'm offering a practical, compassionate guide to help newly qualified social workers feel more confident about assessment work—especially child and family assessments. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why assessments feel overwhelming—and why that’s totally normalThe statutory guidance you must know Why local authority policies can be your secret weapon during disagreementsThe limitations of the 25-year-old assessment triangle—and how to think criticallyHow to avoid “assess...

In this episode I talk about this quote by Rebekah Pierre (and do a terrible job of remembering it in the moment) but its important to reference it properly: "Perhaps you saw the screen in front of you as the final destination. It was not; your words, written about but without me, would not remain hidden forever." It's from this article: https://basw.co.uk/articles/open-letter-social-worker-who-wrote-my-case-files Boundaries: https://www.socialworksorted.com/post/about-me-deciding-non...

A bitesize learning episode to support you in practice. To book ASYE Core Skills training head here: https://www.socialworksorted.com/event-details/asye-core-skills-clarity-and-confidence-for-early-practice Lets connect! To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email vicki@socialworksorted.com Sign up to my free newsletter Join The Collective Ebook Guides Email: vicki@socialworksorted.com LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin Ins...

The instagram trend 'propaganda I'm not falling for' caught my eye and I couldn't help but post a social worker version. In this episode I'm unpicking some of the statements and sharing why I included them. References: https://thestudentsocialworkhub.wordpress.com/2020/07/25/social-workers-as-super-heroes/ Lets connect! To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email vicki@socialworksorted.com Sign up to my free new...

The Truth About Confidence, Competence, and Calm In this episode, I’m talking about the real truth behind three words that are at the heart of The Social Work Collective Academy: Confidence, Competence, and Calm. These aren’t just buzzwords – they’re the foundation for thriving in your first year as a social worker. I’m breaking down why confidence is often misunderstood (especially through a gendered lens), why competence is the key that so many new social workers are missing, and why calm i...

Lets connect! To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email vicki@socialworksorted.com Sign up to my free newsletter Join The Collective Ebook Guides Email: vicki@socialworksorted.com LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin Instagram.com/@vickishevlin_ Youtube.com/@socialworksorted Facebook.com/socialworksorted Disclaimer Thank you so much for listening. Please rate, review and share with one other person - it makes such a differ...

The waiting list for The Social Work Collective Academy is now open: Join The Collective If you are interested in an organisation licence please email me vicki@socialworksorted.com Lets connect! To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email vicki@socialworksorted.com Sign up to my free newsletter Join The Collective Ebook Guides Email: vicki@socialworksorted.com LinkedIn: Vicki Shevlin Instagram.com/@vickishevl...

I think balance is a myth and if I need to prioritise one thing in my life, then something else will have to come second. I'm ok with that, are you? And if we give ourselves permission to not do it all - can we extend that same level of empathy to the families we work with? Talking about all this in the episode - let me know your thoughts! The Social Work Collective Academy Join The Collective Lets connect! To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, dev...

I love being in conversation with new social workers, and naturally the topics that come up a lot are the challenges in day to day practice. In this episode I'm sharing 3 of the biggest struggles for new social workers - in the hope that when you are aware of them - you can do something about it! Listen here if you are student, new social worker or someone who works in a supportive role helping social workers to thrive! Sign up to the waiting list for The Social Work Collective ...

This is just 3 of so many 'what I wish I'd known' tips but I get asked this question a lot and obviously it's something I'm always thinking about! If you liked this episode make sure you subscribe and leave a review! Stay in touch The Social Work Collective Academy (Join the waitlist) https://www.socialworksorted.com/thecollective Lets connect! To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email vicki@socialworksort...

A personal share about our family pet, as well as encouraging you to reflect on social work, pets, loss, connection and relationships in all forms. If you have a positive story about social work and pets, animal connections or use of therapy animals I encourage you to share it on social media and tag me: Linkedin: Vicki Shevlin Instagram: @vickishevlin_ Facebook : Social Work Sorted Follow up links: https://iavsw.org/ https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p383717-rebecca-stephens/public...

There are lots of changes (as always) happening in social work so I thought I'd share my views on some of them in this chatty episode. If you want to skip my opinions and go straight to how you can have a mini rest this spring, realign your boundaries and look at some genuine self care, head to around 33 minutes. In this episode I'm sharing my thoughts on -SWE proposed increase -AI and social work -New Post Qualifying Standards and changes from the ASYE to the 'Social Work Induction Pro...

This is a question I am asked regularly and although I can't respond to individual circumstances, this episode will take you through: -reframing complaints -removing personal comments -the value in apologising -upholding families rights -looking after yourself with record keeping Lets connect! To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email vicki@socialworksorted.com Sign up to my free newsletter Joi...

How do we extend the reach of a genogram? Yes, genograms are essential to our understanding of family networks and narratives, but what if the people influencing us the most are the ones we see every morning when we scroll social media? Are we including virtual contexts and connections in our assessments? And how do we do that in a non judgmental way? In this episode I talk about the importance of considering virtual influences, on both ourselves and the people we support. Recom...

This episode is really one big question. As social work podcasts increase (which is a great thing!) how do we as a collective, manage our responsibility to protect guests and ensure information is shared and not exploited? I don't have answers, but I'm hoping someone who listens to this might help me formulate some thoughts. It always feels scary to share my own experience but I wouldn't ask for transparency from others if I wasn't also willing to be transparent myself. I always f...

In this episode I am joined by the wonderful Katy, who started as a listener of this podcast and is now a friend. I shared a post on instagram asking you to share your questions for me about all things podcast, so a huge thank you to Katy for joining me and asking them! Thank you so much for listening, the fact that I have been doing this for 3 years with now 100,000 downloads is wild and I am so grateful to you for listening and sharing every week. To be even just a tiny part of your s...

I am so happy to share this conversation with Recommended resources mentioned: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/ted-noel https://kilntheatre.com/whats-on/es-flo/ Join The Social Work Collective: https://socialworksorted.com/thecollective Lets connect! To book in a free 15 minute chat with me, to talk about training, development, courses or membership email vicki@socialworksorted.com Sign up to my free newsletter Join The Collective Ebook Guides Email: vicki@social...