Thread by @OurCareOurSay2

1. "Our Care Our Say" is a mix of care experienced & non care experienced friends joined together by a shared belief that any care review must have the views of the care experienced community of all ages & in all its glorious diversity at the centre."Nothing about us without us"

2. One of our team is Ian Dickson. He's care experienced retired s/wkr, residential service manager, Ofsted inspector & most recently Chair of the Conference for Care Experienced People core team. (@CareExpConf). Now retired from all, but a member of the #OCOS team”.>

3 Ian says: “I believe in #OCOS because it reflects my ideals & beliefs that no policy decisions can be made about how care & aftercare are planned & delivered without full transparent consultation & engagement with the care experienced people of all ages in all our diversity">

4. Ian says "The “care experience” doesn't begin when a child is admitted to care & stop on the day the child is discharged. The "Care Experience" lasts from the first day in care, through care, aftercare, & into adult life. It is a single, continuous unbroken experience”.>

5. Ian says "The care experienced family is massively diverse. We reflect all ages, colours & opinions; all racial, religious & ethnic backgrounds & heritages. We reflect the diversity of sexual orientation in Society. We're found in the arts, sciences, professions & trades”.>

6. “We are to be found wherever people are found. Most of us live ordinary lives in the community. Some of us have disabilities, some of us are homeless. Some of us are in custody. Wherever people are to be found in Society, care experienced people are there. We are like you”>

7. “We're not limited by stereotypes - not feckless, lazy, unreliable, ineducable, etc. We include the brightest, wisest, most creative & compassionate people in Society. We're not just young people in care. There are about 1/2 million care experienced folk out there”>

8. “We know from our own lives & those of our friends & families, & from the learning of the Scottish Care Review & the @CareExpConf conference, that the care family has a massive contribution to make in planning how the State cares for its children. We seek only to be heard.">

9. We'll try to bring you the thoughts of other members of the #OCOS team in coming days as we finalise our arrangements to reach the care experienced community. In the meantime, please be like Ian & support "Our Care Our Say" in our bid to get care experienced people heard.