Social Workers Matter

This episode opens differently. Before anything else, I pause to pay tribute to Professor Jason Arday, the youngest Black professor in Cambridge's history, who died after years of sustained public scrutiny. It's a moment to name a name, honour a life, and reflect on the particular weight carried by those who rise while being watched for a mistake.
From there, the episode moves into a solo adaptation of the presentation I delivered for SCAPA, "Why Policies Fail Without Reflective Practice." Drawing on my doctoral work on Bion and Isabel Menzies Lyth, I unpack why even the best-written safeguarding policy collapses without the relational infrastructure of reflective supervision behind it, and what inspectors, leaders, and practitioners alike miss when they mistake procedure for practice.
In This Episode
A Tribute to Professor Jason Arday: I pause the usual format to honour Professor Jason Arday, who died in London following years of sustained media scrutiny after becoming Cambridge's youngest Black professor. Rather than relitigating the allegations made against him, this segment names the pattern beneath the story, using Menzies Lyth's thinking on institutions and anxiety to explore how public and organisational discomfort gets displaced onto individuals, particularly Black people who rise. A moment of stillness for anyone doing work that puts them in rooms they had to fight to enter.
Why Policies Fail Without Reflective Practice (main segment). Adapted from my SCAPA conference session, this segment explores:
Why organisations can write increasingly sophisticated policy while practice on the ground quietly worsens
Menzies Lyth's Work on social defences against anxiety, and how bureaucracy can become a substitute for thinking rather than a support for it
What reflective supervision actually does when it's done well, and why it can't be replaced by a checklist
The difference between compliance and containment, and why "caring is not the same as thinking"
A grounding scenario (originally a live breakout exercise) inviting listeners to hold a case of their own, where the procedure was followed correctly, but the relational opportunity was missed
A closing three-level reflection: what this means for me, for my team, and for my organisation

Key Themes
#Reflective practice #Safeguarding culture #Menzies Lyth Bion & containment #Anti-racist practice #Institutional anxiety #Reflective Supervision #Leadership

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Website: www.inclinetrainingconsultants.co

In this episode, I sit down with Veronica Xavier-Leigh — author of The Mountain Beneath the Carpet: Healing the Little Child Hidden Within Us — for one of the most profound conversations we've had on the podcast.
Together we explore:
Emotional Suppression and Childhood Trauma
Childhood Trauma and Adult Behaviour
Listening to the Inner Child
Pattern of Controlling Relationships
Personal Healing Journey
Faith Journey Transition
Self-Healing for Helping Professionals
Upcoming Book
Veronica is open and generous about the hard lessons drawn from her lived experience, including her difficult marriages. Whether you're a practitioner, a leader, or someone simply navigating your own healing, her wisdom and insight will land.
Find Veronica at https://veronicaxavierleigh.com/
YouTube Channel: @Veronica Xavier Leigh - SoulRise Sounds for uplifting Lyrics, with every track being created to inspire, heal, and remind you of your strength.
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Join us and remember—social workers matter!
Website: www.inclinetrainingconsultants.co

I've been away from this space longer than planned. 
Life and loss asked something of me that I needed to honour first.

I'm back. And the episode I'm returning with feels right.

This is a solo episode. Personal. Reflective. And I hope, useful.

I talk about a period in my career when I became the kind of manager I wouldn't have wanted for myself, not because I didn't care, but because nobody had given me the tools to lead differently.

I talk about what use of self actually means in practice, not as theory, but as lived experience.

I talk about why this concept is not neutral. For Black practitioners and leaders, bringing yourself has always carried a different weight.

And I talk about what organisations must create, not as a luxury, but as a condition for people to do this Work sustainably.

The Work is relational. Leadership is relational. And it begins with you.

Lifting as you climb: a conversation with Odeth Richardson

Head of Service for Occupational Therapy, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust & Chair, Royal College of Occupational Therapists
What does it look like to lead with purpose, replenish yourself honestly, and commit to leaving a profession better than you found it? In this episode of Social Workers Matter, Sylvia sits down with the remarkable Odeth Richardson, a trailblazing occupational therapist, published poet, and senior leader, for a conversation that is as warm and wise as it is professionally rich.
From her childhood in Jamaica, where staying occupied with chores and daily activities was simply a way of life, to becoming the first Black Chair of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, Odeth's journey is one of accidental leadership, intentional mentorship, and hard-won self-knowledge.
IN THIS EPISODE
What occupational therapy actually is, and why it's one of the most powerful tools for reducing inequality.
The mentor who changed everything, and how Odeth now pays that forward.
Stepping down to step up, the courageous decision to prioritise self-care over duty.
Leading 36,000 occupational therapists across four nations, and doing it as a proud introvert.
Poetry, baking, dancing — how Odeth truly replenishes herself
The book, celebrating 'Caribbean perspectives in occupational therapy', has been three years in the making
A live reading of Odeth's poem Like a Phoenix, inspired by Maya Angelou
One of the most moving moments in this episode comes when Odeth reflects on stepping down as Chair of the Race Equality Staff Network after a decade of service. It wasn't failure, it was wisdom. She recognised that an empty cup cannot nourish others, and that the self-compassion she championed for colleagues had to begin with herself. It's a lesson that will resonate deeply with anyone working in the caring professions.
Odeth also speaks candidly about the uneven distribution of stretch opportunities in the NHS, and why equity in development matters as much as equity in hiring. Her commitment to mentoring, whether through the Elizabeth Casson Trust, the Caribbean Writers Network, or her role as trustee at the Great North Children's Hospital Foundation, speaks to a leader who understands that legacy is built in people, not positions.
GUEST
Odeth Richardson
Head of Service for OT, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Hospitals · Chair, Royal College of Occupational Therapists, Poet, Author of 'Reflections of an Island Girl'.
If this episode moved you, share it with a colleague. And if you're a social worker, OT, or anyone working in health and care who sometimes forgets to fill their own cup, this one's for you.
Reflections of an Island Girl by Odeth Richardson is available at Amazon here
https://amzn.eu/d/07Fv7TGV

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Website: www.inclinetrainingconsultants.co

Caribbean Perspectives in Occupational Therapy in the UK is a pioneering resource that brings cultural specificity into occupational therapy practice, centring the experiences and needs of Caribbean communities living in the UK. It is notably authored by occupational therapists of Caribbean heritage themselves, lending the work an authenticity and lived-experience grounding that sets it apart.
The publication draws on biographical narratives and case studies to explore how cultural identity, heritage, and lived experience shape health outcomes and occupational engagement for Caribbean people in the UK. By weaving personal stories alongside practical applications, it bridges theory and real-world practice in an accessible way.
A core theme running through the work is health inequalities — acknowledging the systemic and structural barriers that Caribbean communities face in healthcare settings and equipping occupational therapists with tools to address them more effectively. Alongside this, it champions cultural humility as a professional stance, encouraging practitioners to reflect critically on their own assumptions and to engage with clients in a respectful, curiosity-driven way rather than through a one-size-fits-all approach.
The resource also emphasises social inclusion, recognising that meaningful participation in everyday life — the heart of occupational therapy — cannot be understood without attending to cultural context. At the same time, it celebrates the richness and vibrancy of Caribbean culture, framing it not merely as a backdrop to disadvantage but as a source of strength, identity, and resilience.
For practitioners, the text offers concrete, actionable insights for continuing professional development, making it a valuable tool for both individual therapists and organisations working toward more culturally responsive and equitable care.
In this SWM episode, we're joined by some of the great minds and committed colleagues, Dr Blaine Robin, Odeth Richardson, Jennie Alexander and Melisa Henry.  As the book's launch date draws closer, we will meet other contributors to this much-needed text.

Caribbean Perspectives on Occupational Therapy in the United Kingdom: An Essential Practice Guide and Study Manual
https://amzn.eu/d/04b1tnTr

Do share your feedback at: adosylv@gmail.com
Follow us on social media:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/412169436067530
Subscribe and leave a review to help us reach more listeners!
Join us and remember—social workers matter!
Website: www.inclinetrainingconsultants.co