Words of Affirmation

About Words of Affirmation

Words of Affirmation is the new podcast from Care Full, where we demystify and dismantle the words and phrases propping up our economy. Each week we’ll take on a new sound bite swirling around the political and economic discourse; exploring where it comes from, what it means and how it’s holding us back from a fairer economy for all of us. From hard working families to economic activity, skilled labour to the benefits system, we’re coming for you!

Publisher

Care Full

Category

news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Apr 2025

Latest episode

15 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

16 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Sept 2026

   'Fixing social care' with Emily Kenway

   This week we're joined by the ever-inspiring Emily Kenway, author of Who Cares: the hidden crisis of caregiving and how we solve it  (https://www.emilykenway.com/who-cares)(2023), to talk about the language of social care. Is care something that can be 'fixed', and is that even what we should be trying to do? Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon (https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink). And, you can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website (http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk). (https://www.emilykenway.com/) Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth (https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a) (thanks Bob x).

2. 

   10 Jun 2026

   'Care' (A Carers Week Bonus Episode!)

   It's Carers Week and so we're back with a bonus episode while we're between series. This week we talk about the language of care and dissect this year's theme for Carers Week; carer friendly communities. Does this do enough to genuinely change our experiences of care? And what are the more radical and transformative ideas we should be calling for? We'll be back soon with series 2. Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon (https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink). And, you can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website (http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk). Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth (https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a) (thanks Bob x).

3. 

   16 Dec 2025

   Christmas Special 2025 - Words of the Year

   Our final episode of 2025 is a bit of fun as Hannah and Ruth reveal their words of the year. Let us know your words of the year in the comments. Thanks for listening to our little podcast. May 2026 care for you all. Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon (https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink). You can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website (http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk)

4. 

   22 Nov 2025

   The gig economy

   This week we’re joined by Joe Durbidge to talk about the concept and meaning of “the gig economy”. We discuss how it’s a lot less fun than it sounds and how understanding workers rights for some shines a light on systemic patterns affecting the rights of us all. Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. Our guest Joe Durbidge is a campaign-led researcher at IWGB and was previously a courier full time. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon (https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink). You can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website (http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk). You can find out more about the IWGB on their website (https://iwgb.org.uk/en/) Our positive affirmations this week spanned the work of the IWGB (https://iwgb.org.uk/en/), Ireland’s basic income for the arts (https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/unemployment-and-redundancy/employment-support-schemes/basic-income-arts/) and Care Full’s recent work on care solidarity (https://carefulleconomy.co.uk/care-for-each-other/).Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth (https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a) (thanks Bob x).

5. 

   30 Oct 2025

   'Vulnerable people' with Bryony Shannon

   This week we take on the language of ‘vulnerable people’ and explore what it means for how we live, work and care for each other. We’re joined by Bryony Shannon, author of the Rewriting Social Care blog (https://rewritingsocialcare.blog/) and the book - ‘Rewriting Social Care: Challenging and Changing Language and Practice for a Better, Brighter Future’ (https://rewritingsocialcare.blog/2025/07/26/book/). She has almost 20 years’ experience in adult social care information, communications, and practice development in local councils, and is now working with several organisations who want to challenge and change their own language and practice. Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon (https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink). You can find out more about our guest Bryony Shannon on her website (https://rewritingsocialcare.blog/about/). And, you can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website (http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk). Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth (https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a) (thanks Bob x).

6. 

   16 Oct 2025

   The housing ladder is an illusion

   This week we’re talking about the ‘housing ladder’. We explore how the idea of a ladder keeps our attention on home ownership over other tenures, and whether the metaphor stands up in the midst of today’s housing market. Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon (https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink). You can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website (http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk). This week we talked about: Keir Starmer’s vision for housing op ed for Inside Housing (https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/comment/sir-keir-starmer-my-vision-for-housing-87096) Steve Hilditch’s essay More Snakes than Ladders for Red Brick (https://redbrickblog.co.uk/2024/01/more-snakes-than-ladders/) The UK’s Renters Reform Bill (https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3462) The IFS report Help onto the Housing Ladder (https://ifs.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-12/Help-onto-the-housing-ladder-IFS-report.pdf) TSB research on the experiences of first time buyers (https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/80-of-first-time-buyers-moved-back-home-to-get-on-housing-ladder-survey-finds) Nick Bano in the Guardian on the simple solution to the housing crisis (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/mar/19/end-of-landlords-surprisingly-simple-solution-to-uk-housing-crisis) Housing co-ops (https://ldn.coop/londons-co-ops/housing-co-ops/) Tenants unions like London Renters Union (https://londonrentersunion.org/), Acorn (https://acorntheunion.org.uk/)and Greater Manchester Tenants Union (https://tenantsunion.org.uk/) Deutsche Wohnen & Co enteignen campaign and referendum for public ownership of housing in Berlin (https://dwenteignen.de/) Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth (https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a) (thanks Bob x).

7. 

   2 Oct 2025

   It's more than 'taxpayers' money'

   This week we’re talking about ‘taxpayers money’ and exploring how such a commonplace phrase leans us towards less public spending and creates a dividing line between who public services are and aren’t for. Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon (https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink). You can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website (http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk). This week we talked about: This Mother Jones article on the history of tax and biases of ‘taxpayers’ (https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/04/taxpayer-dollars-the-origins-of-austeritys-racist-catchphrase/) Tax Payers Alliance’s BBC guide Critiques on the language of taxpayers from Richard Murphy (https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2015/09/19/there-is-no-such-thing-as-taxpayers-money/) Research from Carnegie UK on public perceptions of the tax system (https://carnegieuk.org/publication/public-perceptions-of-the-uk-tax-system/) Patriotic Millionaires (https://patrioticmillionaires.uk/) The British Social Attitudes Survey findings on tax (https://natcen.ac.uk/news/majority-britain-back-more-tax-more-spend) Margate residents turning out in opposition to UKIP this month (https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2025/09/27/police-in-attendance-at-ukip-gathering-and-counter-demos-in-margate/) Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth (https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a) (thanks Bob x).

8. 

   4 Sept 2025

   Crisis as usual?

   This week we talk about the language of crisis and ask whether it enables or prevents us from moving towards a fairer economy. Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon (https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink). You can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website (http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk). This week we talked about: Adam Tooze on the polycrisis for the Financial Times here (https://www.ft.com/content/498398e7-11b1-494b-9cd3-6d669dc3de33) The use of metaphors when talking about economic crisis here  (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Filippo-Enrico-Cardini/publication/275715550_Analysing_English_metaphors_of_the_economic_crisis/links/5571e81608aeacff1ff9184b/Analysing-English-metaphors-of-the-economic-crisis.pdf) An exploration of crisis, value and hope here (https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/676327) Social Care Futures work on how to build support to transform social care and the language of crisis here (https://socialcarefuture.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/SCF-Building-Support-REPORT-h.pdf) Rethinking Economics (https://rethinkeconomics.org/) Zohran Mamdani and his treasure hunt (https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2025/08/25/mamdani-draws-crowds-with-scavenger-hunt-as-mayoral-race-heats-up) Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth (https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a) (thanks Bob x). And thank you to Robyn Moffat for supporting the podcast with a professional studio and our best sounding episode yet!

9. 

   7 Aug 2025

   All's fair?

   This week we’re joined by Jason Bunting to talk about fairness in the economy and explore what it means for how we live, work and care for each other. *We had a few issues with Ruth’s sound so apologies for some crackling sounds whilst she’s talking. It’s all good stuff she’s saying so we’ve kept it in!* Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon (https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink). You can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website (http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk). And about Jason’s work at fairnessfoundation.com (https://fairnessfoundation.com/). This week we talked about: The Fairness Foundation’s Fair Necessities (https://fairnessfoundation.com/fairnecessities) And their wider research (https://fairnessfoundation.com/polling) The discourse of fairness around the Welfare Reform Bill (https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/keir-starmer-welfare-cuts-fairness-b2777632.html) Kemi Badenoch talking about fairness (https://www.conservatives.com/news/kemi-rebuilding-trust-speech) The car finance scandal (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2909pvddlo) Brute luck (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/justice-bad-luck/) Issues of tax justice (https://fairnessfoundation.com/fairness-index/substance/the-tax-system-could-be-designed-to-be-more-progressive) Solidarity Economics including this report from the Good Ancestor Movement and Decolonising Economics (https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6127ff51b5a0390e46a10c17/t/662fbb85c4b8b118c66bf459/1714404245238/GAMxDE_Resourcing+the+Solidarity+Economy+DIGEST+REPORT.pdf) Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth (https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a) (thanks Bob x).

10. 

    24 Jul 2025

    Feeling the benefit?

    This week we deep dive into the 'benefits system’ and ask what using this language means for our shared understanding of what benefits are and why they exist. Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our Patreon (https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink). And, you can find out more about hosts Care Full on our website (http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk). This week we talked about: The Beveridge Report (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/19_07_05_beveridge.pdf) Darren McGarvey on the toxic trope of benefit scroungers (https://unherd.com/2024/04/the-toxic-trope-of-benefit-scroungers/) This Yougov poll on how Britons feel about benefit and welfare recipients (https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/50921-how-do-britons-feel-about-benefits-and-welfare-recipients) This article on the language of welfare from Liam Stanley (https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/talking-politics-deploying-the-word-welfare-in-an-official-capacity-is-on-the-increase/) JRF’s data on poverty in the UK (https://www.jrf.org.uk/uk-poverty-2025-the-essential-guide-to-understanding-poverty-in-the-uk) OECD data on social security spend internationally (https://oecdstatistics.blog/2023/02/02/sizing-up-welfare-states-how-do-oecd-countries-compare/) This UBI trial in Wales (https://www.gov.wales/wales-pilots-basic-income-scheme) Our music for the episode is Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth (https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a) (thanks Bob x).

11. 

    10 Jul 2025

    Is social mobility enough?

    This week we take on ‘social mobility’ and explore what it means for how we live, work and care for each other. Does a focus on individual mobility obscure structural inequalities? And what would a more collective guide for our economy look like? Words of Affirmation is a podcast from Care Full, hosted by Hannah Webster & Ruth Hannan. You can support the podcast to continue by signing up to our ⁠Patreon⁠ (https://patreon.com/WordsOfAffirmation?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink). And, you can find out more about hosts Care Full on ⁠our website⁠ (http://www.carefulleconomy.co.uk). This week we talked about: Rebecca Solnit’s ⁠essay on centrism as bias⁠ (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/may/28/centrism-insidious-bias-unjust-status-quo) Sutton Trust’s ⁠overview of social mobility’s past, present and future⁠ (https://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Social-Mobility-%E2%80%93-Past-Present-and-Future.pdf) ⁠Jeremy Corbyn’s move from social mobility to social justice⁠ (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/08/jeremy-corbyn-to-drop-social-mobility-as-labour-goal) ⁠Social Mobility Day⁠ (https://socialmobilityday.com/) ⁠This article⁠ (http://theguardian.com/business/2025/jun/30/uk-entry-level-jobs-chatgpt-launch-adzuna) on the loss of entry level jobs and the role of ChatGPT ⁠Ezra Collective at Glastonbury⁠ (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002fbp4/glastonbury-ezra-collective) ⁠This article⁠ (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/01/capitalism-drive-progressive-change-aberdeen-inequality) on the closure of the Abrdn Financial Fairness Trust ⁠Community Wealth Building in Preston⁠ (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/01/capitalism-drive-progressive-change-aberdeen-inequality) (“the Preston model”) ⁠CLES’s ⁠ (https://cles.org.uk/what-is-community-wealth-building/)work on Community Wealth Building Citizen Network’s ⁠Neighbourhoods of Care⁠ (https://citizen-network.org/work/neighbourhood-care) Our music for the episode is ⁠Bobby Bertoli’s Rebirth⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/track/4XMTSqIb2rVlk5JGxTisuU?si=931a3a8038be475a) (thanks Bob x).

12. 

    2 Jul 2025

    Preview: the Welfare Reform Bill rhetoric

    This episode previews the rhetoric surrounding the Welfare Reform Bill, examining how language shapes the debate and impacts the future of social security.

13. 

    26 Jun 2025

    GDP isn't everything

    Hosts Hannah Webster and Ruth Hannan examine the overreliance on GDP as a metric for societal well-being, considering alternative indicators and the need for a more holistic approach.

14. 

    11 Jun 2025

    We need to talk about hard working families

    Hosts Hannah Webster and Ruth Hannan dissect the pervasive concept of 'hard-working families,' examining its implications for modern living, labor dynamics, and mutual support systems.

15. 

    29 May 2025

    Economic inactivity doesn't exist

    Hosts Hannah Webster and Ruth Hannan discuss the concept of economic inactivity, examining its implications for how people live, work, and care for one another in this episode.

16. 

    25 Apr 2025

    Introducing... Words of Affirmation

    Welcome to Words of Affirmation, the new podcast from Care Full, where we demystify and dismantle the words and phrases propping up our economy. Each week we’ll take on some of the language swirling around the political and economic discourse; exploring where it comes from, what it means and how it’s holding us back from a fairer economy for all of us. From hard working families to economic activity, skilled labour to the benefits system, we’re coming for you! Our first episode lands in May - so subscribe now to be the first to hear it!

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

30

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0