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Messy Social WorkAuthor: Messy Social Work
Welcome to the Messy Social Work podcast. The hosts are Richard Devine and Tim Fisher. Check out our website here: https://www.relationalactivism.com/ Language: en-gb Genres: Science, Social Sciences Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Rich and Tim speak to Janet Kay OBE about her experiences as a social worker, adoptive parent and kinship carer
Wednesday, 1 April, 2026
Janet Kay is a prominent kinship carer, trustee for the charity Kinship, and OBE recipient who advocates for families in England raising relatives' children. Based in Sheffield, she has cared for her grandson since he was 18 months old, advocating for better financial and practical support, and overcoming the "dump and run" lack of resources for caregivers. Key Aspects of Janet Kay's Work and Experience:Advocacy: She serves on the Independent Review of Children's Social Care's Experts by Experience Board and works to raise awareness of the 200,000+ children in kinship care.Background: Formerly a social worker and lecturer, she retired early to care for her grandson.Support & Recognition: She highlights the urgent need for legal, financial, and emotional support for kinship carers, who often face "invisible" challenges and limited resources.Campaigning: She works with the charity Kinship to support carers and helps set up local peer support groups in Sheffield.Honours: She was awarded an OBE in the New Year's Honours for her services to kinship care. Relational Activism: https://www.relationalactivism.com/Rich's BASW Child Protection sessions: https://basw.co.uk/social-work-child-protection-professional-practice-programmeRich Devine's blog: https://richarddevinesocialwork.com/about/Tim Fisher LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/timfisher101/
