34 MEET ‘THE SOCIABLE SOCIAL WORKER’ Alasdair Kennedy talks rookie mistakes, riding corporate change, and reaching thousands with his YouTube channel.
In 23 years as a Social Worker, there isn’t much I haven’t seen,” says Alasdair, with a shake of his head. “I’ve worked in child protection, family support, youth justice, fostering and adoption, and probation. I’ve had my job title changed, my team swapped, my office relocated, and have been made redundant twice. I’ve ridden the wave of corporate change, but through it all, I’ve just kept doing my job. “As a young social worker, I made mistakes, as we all do. I once visited a house to find the woman who lived there dealing drugs at the front door. The house was filled with drug users, and she didn’t know where her children were. I found the baby wedged between the mattress and headboard in the bedroom, and the toddler hiding
under a cot. The house was filled with faeces and bodies, and I just picked these two children up and walked out. “THIS WAS BEFORE MOBILE
own experience on being a social worker. His channel has nearly 2,000 subscribers, and his videos have had over 75,000 views.
“I do everything on my phone - filming, editing, and uploading the videos,” NEARBY PHONE-BOX AND CALLED says Alasdair, who was inspired to MY BOSS, WHO SAID ‘YOU’VE DONE start the channel at the beginning of WHAT?! TAKE THEM BACK!’ lockdown. PHONES, SO I WALKED TO A
“I refused, and called the police instead. The mother was arrested, and the children were put into emergency foster care. “Some of the recollections from over the years are just surreal.” The story is one that Alasdair, aka the Sociable Social Worker, tells in one of his most popular videos: ‘What I wish I’d known at the start of my Social Work career.’ Since launching his YouTube channel 11 months ago, Alasdair has made more than 50 videos - sharing tips, advice, and guidance from his
“I thought maybe I had some experience worth sharing, and my videos seem to have struck a chord with students and newly-qualified social workers. I have people getting in touch daily, asking for tips or advice.” AND ALASDAIR ADMITS THAT, WHILE HE CONSIDERS SOCIAL WORK HIS CALLING, IT WASN’T HIS FIRST CHOICE OF PROFESSION. “I started out at drama school, determined to be an actor,” he laughs, as he recalls the best role he ever
