Rob Mitchell

Picture of donated toys

Picture of donated toys

Picture of donated toys

Picture of donated toys

In a world where advocating the burning of innocent people is seen by some as heroic, our adult social workers in Bradford donate toys for the children of those staying in hotels awaiting their asylum claim, so that they feel welcomed, valued and loved.

Picture of Elaine with her award.

Brilliant to see my friend, colleague, social worker and inspirational collaborator @elaineljames.bsky.social from Bradford Council awarded an MBE today from King Charles. Her work on promote the vote and her impact on social care & social work is utterly remarkable. A very well deserved honour.

Thank you very much, Richard. It was lovely to see you. Every bit of credit to the social workers and managers and elected members. I just get to ride the coattails.

In Bradford yesterday, great to see a council investing in #socialwork a huge credit to @robmitch92.bsky.social & colleagues

You’ve only to walk onto an older people’s ward anywhere in the country, and see the spectacular mess, misunderstanding and misuse of DNR and the attitudes that underpin its use, to know that the #AssistedDyingBill is so deeply concerning.

YouTube video by Håkan Hellström Håkan Hellström - En midsommarnattsdröm (Official Video)

Glad midsommar till familj och vänner i Sverige. 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪

And there’s only ever one song for midsommar, right?

youtu.be/4Cj0jG5nMn0?...

Instead of ‘looking ahead’ they needed to be braver and gone with what they were really thinking, which was, ‘that said’.

Post card from social work cats and rocket science series

Post card from social work cats and rocket science series

Post card from social work cats and rocket science series

Post card from social work cats and rocket science series

Our Practice Model training today. Lots about reflection and risk. The risk of us. Of our intervention. Of our restrictions, lawful and otherwise. Of our dominant perspective. Of our bias. Of our influence. Of our systems and of our ‘need’ for conformity.

Shout out to anyone who for whatever reason finds today difficult x. #FathersDay

Photos of the two Reform councillors who are heading adult and children services in their Local Authorities.

We should all be exceptionally concerned that #Reform are running councils, including children’s and adults services. Mentioning the age of the elected councillors is ageist and unhelpful. And surely their vile, divisive politics is enough reason to be worried sick anyway?

I think the thing ultimately about AI and social work is whether we believe in humanity, with every single one of its flaws, over highly intelligent process. Despite seemingly everyone telling me that AI is to be welcomed, embraced and championed, I’m sort of wedded to the humanity stuff.

Poster from Social Work Cats and Rocket Science. It states that A is for Advocacy and Advocacy secures human rights. There poster is black background with a pink rocket ship with a black cat in it.

If we continue to believe that we have a duty to safeguard people, rather than safeguard their fundamental rights, we wont help keep people safe, we will merely continue to embed a culture of othering. Every person who requires residential support should have access to advocacy.

Poster from Social Work Cats and Rocket Science. It states that A is for Advocacy and Advocacy secures human rights. There poster is black background with a pink rocket ship with a black cat in it.

If we continue to believe that we have a duty to safeguard people, rather than safeguard their fundamental rights, we wont help keep people safe, we will merely continue to embed a culture of othering. Every person who requires residential support should have access to advocacy.

Image of crescent moon and candle holder with bright light, with the words Eid ul-adha and numbers 2025

Happy #EidAlAdha2025 to all those celebrating and especially to all our brilliant colleagues across Bradford Council.

Telling us what we want to hear A guest blog by @DickyBiscuit In this blog post, I will consider a particular phrase I’ve come across, which is used sometimes by a minority of professionals in assessment records.  When used…

“She’s only telling us what we want to hear”. No-one’s compliance is more disguised than our own.

#socialwork

socialworkcatsandrocketscience.com/2019/05/05/t...

Telling us what we want to hear A guest blog by @DickyBiscuit In this blog post, I will consider a particular phrase I’ve come across, which is used sometimes by a minority of professionals in assessment records.  When used…

“She’s only telling us what we want to hear”. No-one’s compliance is more disguised than our own.

#socialwork

socialworkcatsandrocketscience.com/2019/05/05/t...

Thoughts with all those injured or impacted by the truly awful incident in Liverpool today. #YNWA

Picture of me with an arrow pointing to my left eye!

Surgery courtesy of good people at Manchester Eye Hospital. Another reminder of how grateful we should be that skilled practitioners come to the UK to use their skills. Immigration is vital & welcomed. Always love how technical identifying the right eye to operate on is too!

Police pepper-sprayed and Tasered 93-year-old disabled man, court hears Two officers responding to call from care home in East Sussex allegedly also hit Donald Burgess with baton

This man lived in the same care home for 4 years. Thats 1460 days. 35,000 hours. What relationship did they have with him that it got to this? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe

Soviet war memorial

Gates to Sachsenhausen

Memorial to homosexuals men and women murdered at Sachsenhausen.

The end of an amazing stay in Berlin today. A very sobering reminder of Europes appalling & ongoing recent history, and with the backdrop of our own Prime Minister (and a Labour one at that) feeling it necessary to warn us of an ‘island of strangers’. He should be utterly ashamed of himself.

Picture of Keir Starmer with a quote from his speech today which says we risk becoming an island of strangers.

I’m 53. I joined the Labour Party Young Socialists at 14. Every bit of help I have had raising my family, having an education & a career is due to Labour. But enough is enough. I’m not interested in appeasing racists in return for their votes. If that’s where we’re at, I’m done.

List of the names of the victims of the Bradford City fire disaster, 40 years ago today.

Remembering the 56 Bradford City & Lincoln fans who lost their lives in the Valley Parade fire, 40 years ago today.

Group photo of the authors and staff from Bradford Council who were celebrating the book launch last night.

Huge thanks to all who supported our 2nd book launch. Thanks to those who provided videos, reviews, tech, food & to our beautiful friends at SORM in Bradford. Special thanks to my co-editor @elaineljames.bsky.social who is the driving force behind so much of this.
#socialworkcatsandrocketscience

People smiling holding the book

Rob, Hannah and Elaine smiling in front of balloons

Sophie with Elliott and Jordan

Hannah and Fazeela

Such a brilliant evening in Bradford for the launch of the uk.jkp.com/products/the.... It’s such a brilliant book written by such an inspiring group of social workers. @robmitch92.bsky.social @elaineljames.bsky.social

Bradford new green city centre

Green wander through Bradford last night .
This used to be the whiff of Bus emissions and blaring horns .
Open clean and green.
Naysayers enjoy ..
#Bradford

The difference this is making in how we experience our city centre, and to our long term health outcomes, is utterly remarkable. They’ve done a brilliant job.

So excited to be able to attend this book launch. Such a great book, such an inspiring team of writers, encouraging active, rights-based social work 👇
#socialworkcatsandrocketscience
#socialwork
#HumanRights

As in today!

Photo from today in a training room of social workers from Bradford and social work students from Bielefeld in Germany.

A brilliant day for our Adult Social Workers in Bradford today hosting 16 wonderful social work students (and two fab lecturers) from Bielefeld University in Germany. Sharing ideas, experiences & best practice. Bielefeld does exist and we can’t wait for the return leg!

Viel Glück!

Norman Kirk was right. In just about every referral I’ve seen in over the years, and dressed up in a number of different ways, we all tend to want “someone to love, somewhere to live, something to do, and something to hope for”. A starting point for Casey, perhaps?