Supporting 'vulnerable adults' in police custody

06/06/22 • 57 min

The Portal Podcast: Linking Research and Practice for Social Work

In this episode, Sarah and Lesley speak with Dr Donna Peacock about her paper, co-authored with Dr Faye Cosgrove, titled ‘Supporting “vulnerable” detainees through a student volunteering service’ (click here to read the paper). Donna is the team lead for Social Studies at the University of Sunderland which includes BSc Health and Social Care, BSc Policing Studies, BSc Professional Policing, BSc Sociology, BSc Criminology, BA Applied Investigation, Msc Inequality and Society, MSc Leadership in Criminal Justice and Policing, and MA investigative Management.

Donna’s paper (and this podcast episode) focuses on the Northumbria Local Appropriate Adult Scheme which was created as a partnership between the University of Sunderland, Northumbria Police, and the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office. Police codes of practice require the police to provide an Appropriate Adult to support anyone identified as a ‘vulnerable adult’ and in this podcast episode we explore this provision with Donna. We had a fascinating conversation with Donna about the scheme, the construction of vulnerability, power dynamics, and what it means to be an ‘Appropriate Adult’. Lots to take away from this conversation for social workers!

Click here to access the transcript for this episode.

Click here to view Donna’s other publications.

Click here to follow Donna on Twitter.

In this conversation, Donna also spoke about Dr Laura Farrugia’s work. Laura is a Senior Lecturer and the Programme Leader for BSc Forensic Psychology. Click here to view Laura’s staff profile which contains links to her publications.

The music is called “Together We’re Stronger” by All Music Seven (All7 Studios) (you can listen to their music here). Production and editing by PaperGhosts.

The Portal Podcast is funded by the University of Sunderland.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Click here to access the transcript for this episode.

Click here to view Donna’s other publications.

Click here to follow Donna on Twitter.

The music is called “Together We’re Stronger” by All Music Seven (All7 Studios) (you can listen to their music here). Production and editing by PaperGhosts.

The Portal Podcast is funded by the University of Sunderland.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

British racism and anti-oppressive practice

In this episode, Sarah and Lesley speak with Dr Rick Bowler about his paper ‘Whiteness, Britishness and the Racist Reality of Brexit’ (read Rick’s paper here). Rick has retired since we recorded this interview, but at the time of the conversation Rick was working at the University of Sunderland as a Senior Lecturer. Rick has a background in a range of professional fields, including mental health, youth justice, substance misuse, youth work and community development.

Rick’s paper (and this podcast episode) focuses on the ongoing reality of British Racism and explores this within the context of Brexit. Rick challenges the racial frictions that are woven into the Brexit debate and offers insights into how to “trouble” and push back against a privileging social system of whiteness. This conversation is a must listen for social workers within which we talked to Rick about racism, the power of words and meaning, and the role of the critical practitioner as a social educator to retain an ethical commitment to anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice.

Click here to access the transcript for this episode.

Click here to view Rick’s other publications.

Click here to follow Rick on Twitter.

The music is called “Together We’re Stronger” by All Music Seven (All7 Studios) (you can listen to their music here). Production and editing by PaperGhosts.

The Portal Podcast is funded by the University of Sunderland.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

The impact of austerity measures on mothers

In this episode Dr Donna Peaock stepped in to co-host with Sarah so that we could speak to Lesley about her paper, ‘A neoliberalist solution for a neoliberalist problem: The neoliberal normalisation of psychosocial support for parent-carers’, co-authored with Philip Nicholson and Kim Allen (click here to read the paper).

Lesley’s paper (and this podcast episode) focuses on the impact of austerity measures on social care and in particular on women and mothers. We discussed the term ‘parent-carer’ as a contested label, the neoliberalisation of care, responsibiliation, and what it means to be a ‘good neoliberal citizen’. As always these discussions were brought back to practice and the conversation also touched on critical and reflective practice as well as Lesley’s model of ‘Faciltated Practice-Based Research’. Some useful points for social work practice were raised in this conversation and we hope you enjoy listening.

Click here to access the transcript for this episode.

Click here to view Lesley’s other publications.

The music is called “Together We’re Stronger” by All Music Seven (All7 Studios) (you can listen to their music here). Production and editing by PaperGhosts.

The Portal Podcast is funded by the University of Sunderland.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.