​Hi, I’m Vicki Shevlin -  founder of Social Work Sorted and The Social Work Collective Academy.​

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I’m a registered social worker, trainer, consultant, safeguarding specialist and podcast host but I’m also a human first. A person who cares deeply about people. Music lover. Happiest outside on a walk in the middle of nowhere. A learner. A writer. A mother of two. A partner, sister, daughter and friend. Someone who believes that the way we live our lives shapes the way we show up in practice.

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With a background in children’s social work, including roles as a Senior Practitioner and Child Protection Conference Chair, I founded Social Work Sorted in 2021 to address a gap in the profession: new social workers weren’t getting the support, skills, and clarity they needed to thrive.

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Since then, my work has grown into a national platform.

Social Work Sorted is now the leading UK podcast for newly qualified social workers, and The Social Work Collective Academy is a growing membership community supporting practitioners through their first year in practice.

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As the founder of two leading social work education platforms, I’m committed to reshaping how we prepare, support and retain new practitioners in the workforce. I speak regularly at local authorities and national events on recruitment, retention, safeguarding, and the future of social work education.

My work sits at the intersection of practice excellence, safeguarding expertise, and workforce wellbeing — because it’s not quick fixes, it’s foundations.

 

Social Work Training

My training is designed for real practice, not ideal-world scenarios.

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I specialise in:

• core assessment skills

• communication and relational practice

• recording and analysis

• reflective decision-making

• building personal resilience and professional confidence
   

Everything is grounded in research, practice experience, and a critical anti-racist lens. I’m known for training that is refreshing, honest, and rooted in the day-to-day reality of frontline work.

My mission is simple: to raise the standard of social work education in the UK and support practitioners to feel confident, competent and calm.

 

Safeguarding Training (Across the Workforce)

The safeguarding landscape has changed dramatically. So many safeguarding professionals from early help workers to family support staff, youth workers, and community-based practitioners are now expected to do tasks that, even five to ten years ago, were carried out exclusively by qualified social workers.

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Yet the training hasn’t kept pace with the expectations.

This is where my work comes in.

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I am committed to delivering safeguarding training that is:

• context-specific

• rooted in local authority and multi-agency realities

• grounded in confidence-building, not blame

• clear, practical and anchored in strong risk assessment foundations
   

My safeguarding training helps non-social-work staff feel equipped, not overwhelmed — and ensures children and families receive consistent, safe, high-quality support across the system.

Because stronger foundations mean safer outcomes.

 

Safeguarding Consultancy for Organisations & Businesses

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My consultancy extends beyond traditional social work settings.

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I support organisations; including charities, community projects, education providers, and commercial businesses to strengthen their safeguarding culture and protect both staff and service users.

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This includes:

• workforce safeguarding confidence

• staff safety frameworks (including lone working and home visit protocols)

• digital safeguarding for modern workplaces

• reviewing policy, procedures and practice

• building safeguarding foundations that actually work day-to-day
   

The themes that run through all my work are simple and consistent:
Safety, clarity, and confidence built on strong foundations, not quick fixes.

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I help organisations navigate safeguarding with the same values that drive my social work education work: honesty, practicality, and a commitment to creating environments where people feel supported, capable and secure.