The Relational Social Work Podcast

By: Matt and Hannah
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  • Summary

  • The Relational Social Work Podcast is aimed at child and family social workers. Relationships are central to social work practice and this podcast focusses on the importance of connection and relationships in social work ‘with’ children, young people and their families, exploring this through meaningful conversations with inspiring leaders from across the sector. The podcast will celebrate excellent and innovative practice ‘with’ amazing children, young people and families, and have honest conversations about some of the struggles which we can face in children and family social work. There will be a minimum of one episode released every month.

    Your Hosts:

    Matt Clayton

    Matt has led and developed a number of services within Coventry primarily around children in care and care leavers. Matt has a reputation for innovative practice with young people at the center. This has included leading on the BAFTA nominated documentary Superkids and follow up Channel 4 show Kids, piloting the first automatic water bill discount to care leavers and the rollout Lifelong Links in Coventry. Matt is passionate about the importance of maintaining and promoting loving relationships for children in care and has had strategic oversight of Coventry’s reunification work as part of this. Matt was recently invited to write the foreword to the NSPCC and Action for Children joint national report: Home again: reunification practice in England. Matt is the ADCS member of the Family Justice Council and Vice Chair of the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum steering group. Matt also Chairs the Adoption Central England Executive Board. After 20 years of neglecting himself, Matt has rediscovered his teenage love of being active outside, having just complete couch to 5k! When Matt isn’t working or running, he enjoys watching football and supports Liverpool.

    Hannah Bedford

    Hannah qualified as a social worker in 2013, following in her father’s footsteps. Hannah has a passion for practice and practice leadership and has held several roles with a focus on practice development, both in practitioner and management roles. This has including being involved in the development of Coventry’s Social Work Academy, being a Child Sexual Abuse Practice Lead and most recently leading on Coventry Family Valued; a whole-system culture change programme in Coventry, which has led to the safe reduction of the number of children in care in Coventry, against rising numbers of looked after children nationally. Hannah is passionate about restorative practice and has led on the development of Coventry’s practice approach; with a focus on working ‘with’ children and their families, rather than doing ‘to’ or ‘for’ them. Apart from being a proud social worker, Hannah loves dungarees, loves cats and dogs (equally), and supports Liverpool F.C.

    © 2025 The Relational Social Work Podcast
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Parenting & Families Relationships Science Social Sciences
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Episodes
  • Diversity and Inclusion in the Family Justice System: A Family Justice Council Conference special

    Diversity and Inclusion in the Family Justice System: A Family Justice Council Conference special
    Mar 17 2025

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    This week’s episode was recorded at the Family Justice Council Conference in Birmingham. Hannah and Matt are joined first by Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division, Head of Family Justice and Chair of the Family Justice Council, to discuss the role of the Family Justice Council before sharing some key messages for social workers about working in proceedings. Jenny Beck KC, Solicitor, Private Law representative on the Family Justice Council and Chair of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory Board then speaks with Matt and Hannah about supporting neurodivergent children and families in the Family Justice system. Hannah also speaks with a number of delegates at the conference about their key takeaways from the day.

    Thank you for listening to The Relational Social Work Podcast. We are always interested to learn what you thought of the episode and welcome your feedback, suggestions, or ideas for future topics. Stay connected and join the conversation on our social media channels!
    LinkedIn: The relational Social Work Podcast
    Instagram: @RelationalSW
    Visit Our Website and Subscribe to our mailing list: www.therelationalsocialworkpodcast.com
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    42 mins
  • Ryan O'Donnell: A story fit for Hollywood - A foster carer and father fighting for reunification in a broken system

    Ryan O'Donnell: A story fit for Hollywood - A foster carer and father fighting for reunification in a broken system
    Mar 10 2025

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    In this episode Hannah and Matt chat with Ryan O’Donnell, Co-Founder and CEO of Sunlight and previous foster carer in America, about his experience of fostering a young boy who had “no family” and how a chance encounter found his father. This episode explores a journey of reunification which saw many injustices for a black father and his son, the friendship that developed between Ryan and this father, and how Ryan and his wife advocated throughout for the little boy, his father and paternal family to bring them together.

    Thank you for listening to The Relational Social Work Podcast. We are always interested to learn what you thought of the episode and welcome your feedback, suggestions, or ideas for future topics. Stay connected and join the conversation on our social media channels!
    LinkedIn: The relational Social Work Podcast
    Instagram: @RelationalSW
    Visit Our Website and Subscribe to our mailing list: www.therelationalsocialworkpodcast.com
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    59 mins
  • Yvette Stanley: Ofsted’s next chapter - rethinking inspection and focusing on what matters

    Yvette Stanley: Ofsted’s next chapter - rethinking inspection and focusing on what matters
    Mar 3 2025

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    In this episode, Matt and Hannah speak with Yvette Stanley, National Director of Social Care at Ofsted about inspection and regulation. The episode explores how Ofsted captures relationships, love and care in their reports, and how they have embraced relational practice. Yvette talks about the changes that are coming to the ILACS (Inspecting Local Authority Children’s Services) framework, how this fits with social care reforms, how Ofsted views practice approaches, and how they are embedded in Local Authorities.

    Thank you for listening to The Relational Social Work Podcast. We are always interested to learn what you thought of the episode and welcome your feedback, suggestions, or ideas for future topics. Stay connected and join the conversation on our social media channels!
    LinkedIn: The relational Social Work Podcast
    Instagram: @RelationalSW
    Visit Our Website and Subscribe to our mailing list: www.therelationalsocialworkpodcast.com
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins

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