About Us

Championing spaces to think things through and create future possibilities

VOW MISSION STATEMENT

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Strengthening the voice of Black, South Asian, and racially minoritised social work practitioners is at the very heart of what we do.

VOW’s principal objective is to provide a confidential and safe environment to explore dilemmas and challenges that arise in the workplace and help practitioners develop realistic strategies to move forward and achieve their goals.

VOW is a strong advocate of social justice and was founded on the belief that the workplace should be an equitable environment for all. To this end, leaders are encouraged to work alongside us to deliver on this promise.

VOW also recognises the importance of creating opportunities for practitioners to be seen, heard, valued, and supported to thrive. Through VOW 3S's© Sponsorship Programme (V3SSP), organisations can actively invest in their workforce, creating pathways towards stories of success.

VOW actively champions the progression of Black, South Asian, and racially minoritised practitioners into management and leadership roles within social care.

FOUNDER

Jac Shelley – Founder of VOW

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VOW was founded by Jac Shelley, a family and systemic psychotherapist and social work professional with over 25 years’ experience in children’s services as a social worker, registered manager, clinical supervisor, and leadership development facilitator.

Since 2002, she has worked as a family and systemic psychotherapist and is currently part of a joint NHS and Local Authority initiative embedding systemic approaches into social work practice. She also contributed to the Practice Supervisor Development Programme (PSDP) led by Research in Practice from 2018 – 2022 and helped to shape its systemic component. As a PSDP 1:1 facilitator, she provided over 500 hours of reflexive conversation with supervisors and senior managers, exploring the challenges and dilemmas of everyday practice and how theory informed their work.

VOW was created in recognition that practitioners often face inequitable workplace experiences but have limited opportunities to process, reflect, and recover. Through systemic mentoring and psychosocial support, VOW offers a structured space to rebuild confidence, enhance professional identity, and strengthen resilience.

“I designed and developed the All in a Day’s Work – The Metro Map, the PRACTISINGRACE Framework, and the 3S’s© Tool, based on personal experiences and from listening to practitioners’ stories of inequitable practice. These powerful tools invite reflexivity and encourage new ways of responding to challenges.

I am particularly excited about VOW 3S's© Sponsorship Programme (V3SSP) as it is valuing our workforce through action. V3SSP enables organisations to invest in practitioners by creating opportunities for them to develop, contribute, influence, and thrive, while building pathways towards their own stories of success.”

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For more information about our work with Black, South Asian, and racially minoritised social work professionals and to request support from our team

Contact Us