Podcast: do we need more men in social work?

Do we need more men in social work?

That is the question that the first episode of season two of The Social Work Community Podcast seeks to answer.

According to Social Work England data, 83% of registered social workers were female as of November 2022.

But how much does this matter - to the children, families and adults supported by social workers and to the way social work teams and services work?

Community Care's careers editor, Sharmeen Ziauddin, spoke to two of those male social workers - Curtis Powell and Jason Barnes - about their experience of the sector, why they choose the social work profession and what they, as men, bring to the table.

The Social Work Community Podcast explores the issues that matter to social work practitioners in their working lives.

Sharmeen and fellow host Kirsty Ayakwah, our senior careers editor, interview experienced and inspiring guests, including frontline social workers who speak from the heart about their jobs, the sector and society.

It was nominated in the podcast category at this year's British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Social Work Journalism Awards, following its first season, which ran from October 2023 to April 2024.

Other subjects covered in season two include:

• Agency or permanent: what’s the right choice for you?
• Behind the scenes of Community Care – a 50^th anniversary special.

There will also be special episodes with some well-known faces.

Where to find the podcast

Although the podcast is available on major podcast platforms, Social Work Community members will get special early access to each episode.

So sign up to the Social Work Community to be among the first to catch each episode and to connect with fellow practitioners in a safe space.

The Social Work Community Podcast can also be found on:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Spreaker

Click ‘follow’ or ‘subscribe’ on your podcast app so you know when a new episode is published.

You can also listen to the episode here: Listen to "Do we need more male social workers?" on Spreaker.

Here is the transcript.

To whet your appetite for season two, check out episodes from the first season through the links below:

• What is the impact of negative media coverage on social workers?
• The pros and cons of being a young social worker
• Racism in social work
• Should social workers be on social media?
• The refugee who became social worker of the year

Meanwhile, don't forget to sign up to the Social Work Community and do also follow us on Instagram.