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coin operated binoculars

Kay Leary - Social Worker

Tuesday 10 February 2026

I was part of a piece of work with Iriss focused on self-evaluation through the lens of how adults experience the “front door” of social work in the Scottish Borders.

Self-evaluation in adult social work

a second story window under a red lintel

Supporting People who Hoard: Spotlight on Fife 3

Tuesday 27 January 2026
Often what you find is that people are ‘under the radar’ says Ronan and have been hoarding for a long time.
Supporting people who hoard
a toy fire truck in a sandpit

Supporting People who Hoard: Spotlight on Fife 2

Thursday 22 January 2026
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have just started a pilot in Fife – visiting and supporting a small number of people with hoarded homes to provide hands-on support in de-cluttering and maki
Supporting people who hoard
analysing the data

ASP National Minimum Dataset: A journey

Tuesday 20 January 2026
Data in the news and a trip down memory lane…. It’s January 2026, and I’m taking a bit of time for reflection at the start of the year to talk about ASP data and why the big statistics ma
Adult Support and Protection
a coastal glade intersected by a light pebble path

Growing our social work student placement support with Next Chapter Scotland

Monday 12 January 2026
Last year we launched our resource Social work student placements in the third sector which is a
Voices and visions: collaborating for improved third sector social work student placements
a row of house roofs in black and white

Supporting People who Hoard: Spotlight on Fife

Wednesday 7 January 2026
This is our first story of innovation addressing some of the challenges around supporting people who hoard.
Supporting people who hoard
A group of people in different colors

Getting Chronologies Right for Everyone

Monday 1 December 2025
Earlier this year we published Leading Chronology Improvement, a tool to support reflection and self-assessment
Adult Support and Protection
An open laptop next to a notepad and pen

The Iriss Skills Sessions

Thursday 20 November 2025
We have just wrapped up our final Skills Session for the year, and it’s been a really excellent process for us internally at Iriss.
Space to practice
two woodland paths seperated by trees

Identity beyond the labels

Thursday 30 October 2025
Identity beyond the labels The names we use to indicate identity have power - the power to heal and the power to harm, the power to unite and the power to divide, the power to uplift and
Big picture
a man in a luminous orange vest reading from a script

‘Healing Pitch’, authentic voices and improving practice

Monday 6 October 2025
At our second Iriss Skills Session, Dr Emily Whyte shared the creative and multi-disciplinary approach to working alongside care
Big picture
a dynamic microphone on a stand on a sound stage

Creative (re)presentation for social work education and practice

Thursday 2 October 2025
I feel incredibly grateful to have worked with and co-written a play called Healing Pitch alongside four care-experienced young people as part of my P
Big picture
a lady in a yellow raincoat with hair blowing in the wind looking out to sea

Adult Support and Protection belongs everywhere

Tuesday 16 September 2025
At the start of the summer, I wrote a blog about a new Iriss project I’m co-leading, all about professional curiosity in
Adult Support and Protection
join the iriss board

Leading innovation: Join our Board!

Tuesday 9 September 2025
We’re looking for curious, thoughtful people to join our Board. 
Inside Iriss
a tree with colourful strip lights running along the branches

Neurodiversity: the clue is in the name

Wednesday 3 September 2025
As neurodiverse people, it has been a joy to see the recent rise in awareness and acceptance of how different brains work.
Inside Iriss
a lakeside castle reflected in the water

Writing an anti-racist survey as a white person

Tuesday 19 August 2025
While it seems like it should be an indisputable statement that we are currently living in a society that is riddled with inequalities and was created by unequal power structures, this has become an…
Projects
Colourful illustration of path winding across rolling hills

Bridging distance

Tuesday 8 July 2025
Disabilities – Pathways and Perspectives is a resource. The hope is that it becomes a prompt for reflection, in and out of work, whatever each reader’s responsibilities, beliefs, uncertainties, stage…
Standalone projects
A group of maps on a table

Maps and mountains

Monday 30 June 2025
The map is not the territory The last time I tried to climb a mountain I failed spectacularly. It was a warm August at the foot of the mountain, and a freezing January higher up.
Inside Iriss
A squirrel looking curious from behind a tree

Curiouser and curiouser

Tuesday 24 June 2025
Iriss is embarking on a new project to find out all about professional curiosity across the public protection agenda - and we’re looking for interested folk to help us out.
Projects
picture of person writing with a pen

Writing with, not about

Thursday 19 June 2025
A group of practitioners from the Transitions Team in Scottish Borders Council asked us if we could support them with a shift in writing culture.
Projects
Illustration of crowd of colourful figures

Wisdom in the difference 

Tuesday 17 June 2025
Over the past few weeks, we have had the chance to listen to practitioners from across Scotland reflect on safeguarding and child protection…
Child Protection: update to the National Risk Framework
This must be the place in neon writing

Call for Learning Partners

Tuesday 17 June 2025
We’re looking for third sector learning partners in using a new Iriss resource developed to supp
Voices and visions: collaborating for improved third sector social work student placements
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