Why Newberyl Exists

I grew up in the care system from the age of nine and left as a care leaver. I went on to complete a first class BA in Social Work and qualified as a social worker having completed placement in children’s services and adult mental health.

After qualifying, I continued working in children’s social work and had the privilege of working alongside some of the most compassionate people I have ever met. But a pattern emerged. Practitioners who cared deeply about the work — who showed up every day for the families they served — were not being cared for themselves. Quietly, behind closed doors, they would share how they really felt. The anxiety. The uncertainty. The weight of what they carried home. But there was no safe space to say it out loud, because saying it felt like a risk to their career.

Then Covid came. I still had a duty to safeguard. I was visiting homes where Covid was confirmed. I was managing aggression, fear and family breakdown in circumstances none of us had trained for. And I had nowhere to put any of it — not externally, not safely, not without it looking like I could not cope with the job I loved.

I left social work to protect my love for it. But I never stopped thinking about the people still in it.

That is why Newberyl exists. Not as a theoretical response to a documented problem, but as something built from the inside — by someone who has been both the child in the system and the professional carrying it home. Every service we offer addresses challenges the sector has faced year after year. And while I am genuinely encouraged by developments like the Family Help model and practice pods, independent support has never mattered more. Social care professionals deserve a space to process, to grow, to build their identity and to connect with peers — without fear of professional consequence.

Anita D — Founder, Newberyl Practice Support