Iriss.fm

An interview with Emma Scott, winner of the Bright Spark Award at the Scottish Social Services Awards. Since leaving high school in 2014, Emma began an apprenticeship at Peartree Nursery in East Lothian. She has gained an SVQ Level 3 and has lots of hands-on experience with children of different ages and situations.

A roundtable discussion on Talking Hope, a project exploring to what extent creating safe conversational spaces among diverse stakeholders helps cultivate hope in the context of young people considered to be at high risk. The conversation involved Katherine Baxter, Research Associate on the project, Natalie Connell, Unit Manager at the Good Shepherd Centre, Eileen Bray, Mental Health Nurse at CAMHS (Ayrshire and Arran) and Liam Slaven, a care experienced young person and member of Star Board which aims to transform secure care in Scotland.

An interview with Ian Welsh OBE, Chief Executive of the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland.

Write to Recovery is celebrating four years in 2018. Erin Crombie (Group work facilitator) and John McCormack (Project Manager) from the Scottish Recovery Network give an update on the project four years on. We also hear from Audrey and Dorothea, who share their experiences of using Write to Recovery.

An interview with Trisha Hall, National Director of the Scottish Association of Social Work.

Michael McEwan speaks to Gerry Tougher, Public Engagement Officer at East Renfrewshire Council about Talking Points, a new approach to providing information and support to people in their local communities.

An interview with Dr Donald Macaskill, Chief Executive of Scottish Care. Donald worked for many years in the health and social care sectors across the United Kingdom specialising in learning disability and older people’s work. A particular professional focus has been issues related to bereavement, palliative care and individual rights. For thirteen years he ran his own equality and human rights consultancy focusing on adult protection, risk and personalisation. From 2012-2015 he managed Scottish Care's self-directed support project, People as Partners, then worked as Scottish Care's Joint National Workforce Lead.

An interview with Viv Cree, Professor of Social Work Studies at the University of Edinburgh. She has conducted research in a number of social work-related fields over the last 20 years, focusing mainly on qualitative research that aims to improve social work services, and hence, the lives of those who use services. Within this, she specialised in research on social work history, feminism and gender in social work, HIV and children and young people affected by parental illness. Before coming to the university, Viv worked for 16 years as a professional social worker and community worker in both the statutory and voluntary sectors. I am an accredited practice teacher. Michelle Drumm from Iriss 'squeezes' her of information and inspiration.

A roundtable discussion on the embedding of welfare advisors in health and social care services, as an effective response to the impact of welfare reform. The discussion involved Kate Burton, Public Health Practitioner at Scottish Public Health Network, Roddy Samson, Welfare Advice Service Facilitator at the Improvement Service and Karen Carrick, Project Manager at the Improvement Service.

An interview with Tommy Whitelaw, who was a full-time carer for his late mother Joan who had vascular dementia. In 2011 he embarked on a walk around Scotland’s towns and cities to collect hundreds of life story letters detailing the experiences of individuals caring for a loved one living with dementia. Since then, Tommy has engaged with thousands of carers through his ‘Tommy on Tour’ blog and as UK Project Engagement Lead with the Health and Social Care Alliance’s Dementia Carer Voices Project. He gives talks to health and social care professionals and carer organisations across Scotland, to raise awareness of the impact of dementia on families and the importance of empowering carers in carrying out their difficult but vital role.

Michael McEwan attended a number of events over Learning Disability Week 2018 and spoke to the organisers. We hear about 'Be the Change' campaign by Enable Scotland, Project Ability and Mind the Gap theatre performance organised by the Scottish Commission for Learning Disability (SCLD).

Building the Future: shaping our social work identity newly qualified social worker conference was held on 31 May 2018 in Edinburgh. Delivered with the University of Edinburgh (in partnership with the Higher Education Heads of Social Work Group), Iriss, Scottish Social Services Council, the Scottish Association of Social Workers, Social Work Scotland and the Scottish Government, it provided an opportunity for newly qualified social workers to come together to connect and reconnect. We hear the moving story of Jo MacFarlane, a writer, poet and public speaker. She provides an engaging story of her early life and journey to recovery, peppered with powerful, and often comic, verse.

Building the Future: shaping our social work identity newly qualified social worker conference was held on 31 May 2018 in Edinburgh. Delivered with the University of Edinburgh (in partnership with the Higher Education Heads of Social Work Group), Iriss, Scottish Social Services Council, the Scottish Association of Social Workers, Social Work Scotland and the Scottish Government, it provided an opportunity for newly qualified social workers to come together to connect and reconnect. In this episode, Martin Kettle of Glasgow Caledonian University gives an overview of the research on newly qualified social worker perceptions of social work education and practice.

Building the Future: shaping our social work identity newly qualified social worker conference was held on 31 May 2018 in Edinburgh. Delivered with the University of Edinburgh (in partnership with the Higher Education Heads of Social Work Group), Iriss, Scottish Social Services Council, the Scottish Association of Social Workers, Social Work Scotland and the Scottish Government, it provided an opportunity for newly qualified social workers to come together to connect and reconnect. Susan Taylor, past President of Social Work Scotland, provides the keynote on leadership and professional identity, focusing particularly on the post-qualifying period.

Building the future; shaping our social work identity newly qualified social worker conference was held on 31 May 2018 in Edinburgh. Delivered with the University of Edinburgh (in partnership with the Higher Education Heads of Social Work Group), Iriss, Scottish Social Services Council, the Scottish Association of Social Workers, Social Work Scotland and the Scottish Government, it provided an opportunity for newly qualified social workers to come together to connect and reconnect. In the first episode, Viviene Cree introduces the conference, and is followed by a presentation by Jane Johnstone who provides some thought provoking asks of attendees.