By Allison Hulmes, Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Swansea University and Co-
Founder of the Romani and Traveller Social Work Association.
At a recent event, leading up to the implementation of our Reflection, Objective, Movement and Action (ROMA) model for restorative supervision, we were exploring the experiences of social workers in facilitating and receiving reflective supervision. One attendee expressed a preference for ‘brave spaces’ over ‘safe spaces.’ While I understood the intention – to encourage honest, challenging conversations – it generated a deep sense of dissonance, which I reflected on during the long journey home. As a social worker from a minoritised and racialised community, I know that being ‘brave’ and speaking out often comes at a personal cost. It can mean risking psychological safety, professional standing, and a sense of belonging.
As social work continues to strive for greater diversity and seeks to reflect the communities it serves, the voices of Romani and Traveller social workers remain underrepresented, especially in anti-racist spaces, where it is too often unheard. For the small number of us who enter the profession, the journey is frequently marked by isolation and a profound tension between our identities and the expectations of professional conformity. This reality led to the creation of the Romani & Traveller Social Work Association, providing peer-led spaces designed to offer support, solidarity, and most importantly, safety.
Romani and Traveller communities in the UK continue to experience systemic discrimination across housing, education, healthcare, and policing. Social work, though positioned as a helping profession, has historically contributed to this marginalisation, particularly through child protection practices that have disproportionately affected our families. For Romani and Traveller social workers, this legacy is not theoretical, it is present in our everyday practice, where we are often asked to advocate within systems that have long harmed our communities.
In this context, the need for safe spaces cannot be overstated. These are not merely physical or conceptual environments, they represent practice behaviour and systems rooted in respect, humility, and healing. Safe spaces enable Romani and Traveller social workers to speak openly about heritage, culture, and challenges without fear of being judged, silenced, or stereotyped. They offer essential protection in professional environments that often feel exclusionary or hostile.
Over time, safe spaces can transform into brave spaces where difficult and transformative conversations are more likely to happen, institutional practices are questioned, and where meaningful advocacy for anti-racist and anti-oppressive change becomes possible. In brave spaces, Romani and Traveller social workers can do more than survive the profession; we can influence, reshape, and lead it.
Allyship is critical in creating and sustaining safe and brave spaces. It requires more than passive support; it demands active listening, the courage to confront personal and institutional bias, and a genuine commitment to transforming current power dynamics. Critical reflexivity lies at the heart of true allyship and should be practiced with intention, if allies are to avoid becoming complicit in the very systems that marginalise and exclude.
As we move forward with implementing our Reflection, Objective, Movement, and Action (ROMA) model for restorative supervision, we must ensure that the systemic transformation we seek begins with a foundation of safety, especially for those most marginalised. For Romani and Traveller social workers, safety cannot be assumed; it must be intentionally created and protected. Only from this secure foundation can we foster the reflection, honesty, and courage needed to challenge oppressive systems and build a profession that truly values every voice.
Lasting transformation is rooted not in bravery, but in a sense of true belonging.