Send us a textEmotional wellbeing in child protectionWhat drives us toward careers in child protection, and how might our personal histories unconsciously shape our professional approaches? Dr Nicola O'Sullivan takes us on a profound journey through the emotional terrain of social care work, revealing how her own experiences of childhood trauma unconsciously propelled her into caregiving roles.With remarkable candour, she explores how her training at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust transformed her understanding of herself and her work. "I brought with me a lot of unconscious items," she reflects, describing how overconfidence and determination masked vulnerability. This journey toward self-awareness, though painful, proved essential to becoming what she calls "a more solid, safe practitioner."O'Sullivan offers a refreshing perspective on psychological defences in high-stress environments like child protection. Rather than viewing defences as obstacles to eliminate, she suggests practitioners tell families, "Please don't drop your defences. You need them until we have something that might offer something better." This nuanced approach acknowledges that defences serve important protective functions while recognising when they might interfere with effective practice.The conversation delves into systems psychodynamic theory as a framework for understanding what happens beneath the surface in helping organisations. By integrating psychoanalysis, group relations theories, and open systems perspectives, practitioners can better understand the interconnections between various parts of a social system. O'Sullivan explains how this approach helps track "processes in the work between workers and between workers and families and workers and organisations."For those in the field, O'Sullivan's insights on supervision prove invaluable. Good supervision, she argues, acknowledges the intersection between personal experience, professional role, and the work itself. Using a clear model (she recommends the Seven-Eyed Model), supervision creates a containing space where practitioners can process difficult emotions rather than avoiding them – crucial when we consider that avoidance only increases anxiety over time.Listen to discover why reflective practice matters now more than ever in a field where workers face anxiety not just from trauma exposure but also from fears of inspection and scapegoating. Whether you're new to social care or a seasoned practitioner, O'Sullivan's wisdom offers both validation and challenge: "Go gently, try not to feel so much shame about your own history, and find people who are wise and kind and open and curious and uncertain."Nicola’s BioNicola  is a Lecturer, Clinical Supervisor and Social Care Consultant, and has worked with children and families in community and residential settings for 24 years. Nicola consults to senior managers in organisations nationally and internationally, and provides individual and group supervision to social workers, social care workers, forensic teams, and frontline workers at all levels in community and hospital settings. Nicola works clinically in frontline practice with foster families. In this episode we discuss supervision in social work and social care settings.We hope you like our conversation.DisclaimerInformation reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.Support the show

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