NSPCC Learning Podcast

41: Understanding intersectionality in social work practice

NSPCC Learning Podcast

Show Notes

A child or young person’s identity and lived experience can affect how they engage with professionals and services.

This episode features Jahnine Davis and Nick Marsh, founders of Listen Up, where we explore intersectionality and its application within safeguarding practice. Ineke Houtenbos, a senior consultant at the NSPCC, leads the discussion around:

what intersectionality is

why intersectional thinking is important in safeguarding

the impact of not taking an intersectional approach when working with children and young people

the challenges in capturing intersectional experiences during assessments

how you can apply intersectional understanding to your work and develop your social care practice.

Read the podcast transcript on the NSPCC Learning website.

💬 About the speakers

Jahnine Davis, a PhD researcher, has over 20 years’ experience in the charity sector and is recognised nationally as a leader in the field of intersectionality, adultification and safeguarding Black children and young people.

Ineke Houtenbos is an experienced child protection professional with over 21 years’ experience and has provided training and consultancy on anti-racism awareness and anti-racist practice. She is a Senior Training and Development Consultant for the NSPCC in Northern Ireland.

Nick Marsh is a researcher and social worker with over 20 years’ experience in statutory settings. Nick’s PhD research focuses on child exploitation and social work interventions. Since 2014, Nick’s work has focused on developing strengths-based approaches and turning evidence in to practice.

📚 Related resources

> Learn more about Listen Up

> See all our safeguarding and child protection resources

> Search for more research and resources

Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

More from NSPCC Learning Podcast

Apr 14, 2026

In this podcast episode, staff from the NSPCC Scotland hub discuss an emotional resilience programme they developed and delivered across seven primary schools in Govan, Glasgow.

Mar 9, 2026

In 2015, Professor Carlene Firmin coined the term ‘contextual safeguarding’ to describe an approach to safeguarding young people that looks at additional ‘contexts’ for harm outside of the family home and beyond the control of a child’s parents and carers. In this podcast episode, we speak to Carlene about the concept of contextual safeguarding and how practitioners can incorporate contextual safeguarding practices into their work with children and families. You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 💬 About the speakers Professor Carlene Firmin MBE is a Professor of Social Work and Director of the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding at Durham University. She is also Co-Editor in Chief of the British Journal of Social Work, co-convener of a special interest group on Social Work and Adolescents for the European Social Work Research Association, a Global Ashoka Fellow, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a member of the Churchill Fellowship Advisory Council, and an Associate of Strathclyde University’s Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice. Her book, Contextual Safeguarding and Child Protection: Rewriting the Rules, won the Routledge Prize for a Sociology Monograph in 2020. Shirley Maginley is a Senior Consultant in the NSPCC’s Professional Learning Services, with over 20 years’ experience supporting professionals and organisations across sectors to strengthen their knowledge, policy and practice in keeping children safe. She draws on her experience in youth and community development to help organisations improve their safeguarding arrangements and create safer environments for children and young people across diverse settings. 📚 Resources mentioned in this episode > Visit the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding website > Access further contextual safeguarding resources, including resources on context weighting, safety mapping and safety summits Intro/outro music is Lights by Sappheiros

Feb 9, 2026

Men can be both survivors and perpetrators of domestic abuse, and both experiences present distinct safeguarding challenges. Drawing on practice experience from the NSPCC Helpline and Childline, this podcast episode centres on male experiences of domestic abuse. You’ll learn about the challenges of working with male perpetrators of domestic abuse, the barriers that male survivors of abuse face when coming forward, and the effects of domestic abuse on parent-child relationships. You can read this episode’s transcript on the NSPCC Learning website. 💬 About the speakers Emily Harrison is a Domestic Practice Advisor on the NSPCC Helpline, with extensive experience in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector. Her roles include service management, Specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA), Chair of the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC), and member of the Domestic Abuse Scrutiny Committee. She has also provided training for first responders, equipping them with the skills to support those affected by domestic abuse effectively. Adrian Somerville has been Helpline Practice Manager with the NSPCC for six years. Before this, he was a NSPCC Helpline Practitioner for over five years. Adrian is a qualified and accredited Counsellor, currently providing support to children and young adults in relation to anxiety and self-esteem issues. He has also previously worked with male survivors and perpetrators of domestic abuse. Cormac Nolan is a Service Head with Childline. He holds responsibility for certain Childline bases delivering the live service as well as for the Childline website and social media. Stephen Pilling is a Helpline Practitioner at the NSPCC. Before joining the NSPCC, worked as a Group Leader in residential settings, supporting both adults and children with additional needs and disabilities. 📚 Resources mentioned in this episode > Learn more about protecting children from domestic abuse > Learn how the NSPCC Helpline’s Domestic Abuse Practice Advisors support children and families experiencing domestic abuse

Sep 9, 2025

This podcast episode is hosted by the NSPCC’s Local Services Director Karen Squillino, who is also chair of the wellbeing and safeguarding committee for Lift Schools.

Aug 5, 2025

Online sexual extortion can be financially motivated sexual extortion and blackmail using both real and AI generated images of boys and young males. Although this is not a new issue the National Crime Agency and the NSPCC has seen an increase in the last two years of boys experiencing online sexual extortion.

See all episodes →