About Me
I am Miguel Valerio, a Social Worker, children’s social care leader, consultant and trainer with more than 20 years of experience across social work practice, residential care, service development, leadership, training and academia.
Originally from Portugal and now based in the UK, my career has developed across two countries and several different areas of social work. What connects those experiences is a continuing interest in how we can create services that are not only compliant with regulation, but genuinely effective in improving the experiences and outcomes of the people they support.
From Social Work to Leadership
I qualified in Social Work at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), where my early professional and academic interests developed alongside work in areas including substance misuse, community intervention and social work education.
My career subsequently combined professional practice with academia. I taught Social Work at higher education level in Portugal, held academic and course leadership responsibilities, contributed to research projects and professional development initiatives, and participated in the development and dissemination of social work knowledge through conferences, publications and scientific organisations.
I also served as a Social Judge within the Court for Youth and Family of Vila Nova de Gaia, an experience that further developed my understanding of decision-making, safeguarding, family systems and the responsibilities involved when professional judgement can have a significant impact on the lives of children and families.
Children’s Social Care in the UK
Since moving my professional practice to the United Kingdom, my work has increasingly focused on children’s residential social care.
I joined FEVACA in 2014 and progressed through a range of management and senior leadership positions across Supported Accommodation and Children’s Homes. My responsibilities included developing and managing services, regulatory compliance, safeguarding, quality assurance, staff and management development, and organisational oversight.
As Responsible Individual, I provided regulatory oversight for Children’s Homes through periods of development and growth, including services achieving Good and Outstanding Ofsted judgements. I later held operational responsibility across both Children’s Homes and Supported Accommodation, giving me experience of the practical, regulatory and leadership challenges involved in developing and maintaining children’s social care services.
These experiences have strongly influenced how I approach social care today. Regulation is essential, but compliance alone does not create a good service. Strong services require capable leadership, confident staff, meaningful relationships, professional curiosity, effective oversight and an organisational culture that remains focused on children and young people.
What I Do Today
My professional work now brings together leadership, consultancy, training, service development and regulatory oversight across children’s social care.
Through DS Wellbeing & Development Network and Social Care Skills, I work with providers to develop and strengthen Children’s Homes, Supported Accommodation and other social care services. This includes training and professional development, registration support, regulatory consultancy, quality assurance, inspection preparation, leadership development and the creation of practical tools that providers can use within everyday practice.
I also work directly with organisations in senior development, commissioning and Responsible Individual roles, supporting the development of new services and providing oversight, challenge and support to established provisions.
This combination is important to me. I do not want my work in training or consultancy to become disconnected from the realities of running social care services. Remaining actively involved in service development, leadership and regulatory oversight helps ensure that the training, tools and advice I provide remain grounded in practice.
Research, Education and Professional Development
My interest in social work has always extended beyond operational practice.
Throughout my career, I have maintained an involvement in research, education, conferences and professional debate. I have published and presented work nationally and internationally, participated in scientific committees, organised academic and professional events and contributed to peer-reviewed publications and conference proceedings.
My earlier academic career included teaching and course leadership in Social Work, alongside research into social networks, community development and related areas of social intervention.
Today, that interest continues through my writing and through the Social Sciences Advancement Dialogue Network, creating opportunities for researchers, practitioners and professionals to exchange ideas and contribute to wider discussion across the social sciences.
Practice, Regulation and Professional Judgement
One of the themes that increasingly interests me is the relationship between regulation and practice.
Children’s social care operates within an increasingly detailed regulatory and accountability framework. Good regulation can protect children, establish expectations and drive improvement. However, good social care also depends on relationships, professional judgement, curiosity, reflection and the ability to understand the individual child rather than simply follow processes.
I am particularly interested in how organisations can achieve both: strong regulatory compliance alongside thoughtful, relational and individualised practice.
That perspective influences much of my work in leadership, training, consultancy and writing.
More Than 20 Years, and Still Learning
My career has taken me from frontline social work and community intervention in Portugal to academia, research, management, children’s residential care, regulatory leadership, consultancy and the development of new services and projects in the UK.
Along the way, I have worked with students, practitioners, managers, providers, researchers and professionals from different disciplines and backgrounds. Those experiences have reinforced my belief that social care improves when we remain willing to question practice, share knowledge and learn from one another.
After more than two decades in Social Work, I still see professional development as an ongoing process rather than something that is ever completed.
This website is therefore not intended simply as a record of my career. It is also a space where I can share some of my professional work, projects, reflections and ideas about social work, children’s social care, leadership and the systems we create around children and young people.
If you would like to discuss professional collaboration, service development, research or another area of shared interest, you are welcome to get in touch.
