From the Care System to Changing It: Steve Baron on Reframing Social Work and Supporting Vulnerable Children

🎙️ In this episode of the Able to Care Podcast, host Andy Baker speaks with Steve Baron – a social worker, practice educator, and founder of Reframe Wandsworth.

Steve brings his powerful lived and professional experience into a conversation about the realities of growing up in care, being separated from siblings, and the emotional toll of the care system.

Together, Andy and Steve unpack what it really means to be trauma-informed – and why labels, procedures, and tick-box approaches often miss the mark when it comes to actually caring for children.

If you’re a carer, teacher, social worker, or someone who wants to better understand and support care-experienced young people, this is a vital listen.

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📝 Key Topics Covered in This Episode:

🏚️ Growing Up in the Care System:
Steve shares his personal experience of being in care, what was missing emotionally, and the long-term impact of early separation from his siblings.

💔 “Trauma-Informed” Isn’t Just a Buzzword:
Why systems often fail to truly understand trauma – and how lived experience needs to inform practice, not just theory.

🔄 Reframing Social Work and Care:
How Steve’s organisation, Reframe Wandsworth, is changing how professionals support care-experienced young people – with authenticity, empathy, and challenge.

🛠️ Supporting, Not Saving:
The importance of avoiding saviour mindsets and truly listening to what care-experienced people need on their terms.

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💬 Key Takeaways:

✅ Trauma-informed care starts with curiosity and empathy – not just training.
✅ The system often labels children instead of understanding them.
✅ Real change comes from relationship – not tick-boxes.

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📚 Further Resources:

Reframe Wandsworth – reframewandsworth.co.uk
Able Hub – Resources for carers, educators, and parents: ablehub.uk
Targeting the Positive – Andy’s book on understanding and managing behaviour

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⏳ Timestamps:

[00:00] – Introduction: Meet Steve Baron
[02:05] – Steve’s childhood in care and sibling separation
[05:45] – Why labels like “challenging behaviour” miss the real story
[08:20] – What Steve wished adults understood back then
[11:10] – Becoming a social worker – and bringing lived experience to the table
[14:35] – Reframing what support really looks like
[17:50] – The dangers of saviourism and assuming what’s “best”
[20:10] – What trauma-informed should mean
[23:15] – Steve’s hopes for how professionals can change the culture
[26:00] – Final reflections and where to connect with Steve

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📲 Connect with Us!
🔗 Instagram: @AbleToCarePodcast
🔗 LinkedIn: @AbleTraining
🔗 TikTok: @AbleToCare
🔗 Website: AbleHub.uk

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