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Ian Dickson

25 Jan, 10 tweets, 2 min read

1. I spoke to Josh McAlister today. He told me that the DfE terms of reference for Review, which only make a passing reference to supporting children leaving care and care leavers, were only guidance. He fully intends to include care experienced people of all ages in Review >

2. Josh McAlister said that he intends to issue much more detailed guidance once in post in March & will seek to reach out to care experienced people of all ages, wherever they are, in all their diversity. That's very reassuring indeed. Looking at ways now how this might be done.

3. Josh MacAlister accepted that the information on the web site about the interviews for Experts of Experience wasn't good enough. He was clear that he does not intend that care experienced people should be interviewed at all about their life in care.>

4. Josh MacAlister told me that he doesn't necessarily see the Expert by Experience panel being just for care experienced people in spite of its title. He is looking for an advisory group consisting of people who have advocated for or been involved in improving care services. >

5. Josh MacAlister told me that he is happy to consider "reference groups" of people with particular backgrounds to offer specialist support in key areas. He also hopes to look at children in the juvenile secure estate as part of Review.

6. A major issue for me in meeting Josh MacAlister was how he felt review would identify, recognise & engage care experienced people of all ages wherever they're found - on the streets, in custody, in unregulated settings, in health care settings etc. >

7. Josh MacAlister said that he is committed to engage with the care experienced community & hopes to support community & care experienced groups to manage gatherings of care experienced people in all their diversity across the country. >

8. Josh MacAlister said he'd consider supporting on line groups on which care experienced folk of different age groups, or in custodial settings, or homeless etc, could engage with support. There are potential roles for support groups to set up such forums to offer a platform>

9. Josh MacAlister would encourage specialist community groups similarly to support homeless young people, young people struggling in the community, or those in custody to engage with the Review. He will speak with the Scottish and New Zealand care reviews about consultation.

10. I ought to say that I sought Josh MacAlister's consent to share our discussions today. All the things shared were with his prior consent. (End)

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More from @IDickson258

Ian Dickson

@IDickson258

23 Jan

1. The Social Care Review's terms of reference say the Review should "include children who are in care in formal settings such as
fostering arrangements or residential care and also those receiving support under informal,
kinship care....>"

2. < The Social Care Review's terms of reference continue - "The review may want to consider support for children as they prepare to leave
care and those receiving ongoing support once they have left care, drawing on care leavers’ experience" >

3. ".. may want to consider support for children as they prepare to leave
care & those receiving ongoing support once they have left care, drawing on care leavers’ experience" ... Is this really a robust enough commitment for all of us who've campaigned for a care system review?

Read 5 tweets

Ian Dickson

@IDickson258

24 Nov 20

'Bad parent': children's watchdog to accuse state of care failings in England theguardian.com/society/2020/n…

"(Anne Longfield) will call for children to be more involved in the decisions made about their care, and will challenge politicians to do more than simply apply a sticking plaster to a system in crisis." At last!

"...there are children the system really struggles to accommodate. “It treats them as a risk to be managed, not a life to be lived. Despite the best efforts of some staff, these children can experience a system devoid of empathy, compassion and love.”

Read 4 tweets

Ian Dickson

@IDickson258

23 Nov 20

So many issues arising from this... Examining how the Care Review should work cypnow.co.uk/blogs/article/…

1. Of course professionals & care experienced people must work together towards a care review. Everybody would want that. But they must start from a position of respected equals, who have equal say, but equals who do not share the same priorities or necessarily ambition >

2. The Scottish care Review did not happen simply because Nicola Surgeon decided one day it would happen. The happened following relentless pressure over a long time from Scottish care experienced people & Who Cares? Scotland. They convinced Nicola as she will tell you herself>

Read 12 tweets

Ian Dickson

@IDickson258

20 Nov 20

1. A hobby horse of mine, but 'careleavers" are still often viewed as best represented by articulate professional (usually young) adults, often graduates, who have emerged from care to do well professionally, often in a health or social care profession. I was one of these too >

2. "Care" is usually viewed as foster care, particularly as most young people in care are fostered, with a nod of recognition that perhaps the less fortunate may be in children's homes. Representation of children in care on councils, etc tends to come from those in foster care>

3. Sometimes using children in foster care locally to represent children in care happens for practical reasons given these kids are not placed miles from home & are often the most willing to engage with professionals.The others often remain silent & unheard>

Read 13 tweets

Ian Dickson

@IDickson258

9 Nov 20

1. Another thread of my rambling reflections about the politics of the care experience going back to the 50's to the present day. >

2. As I have said, the 50's/60's were brutally savage with violence towards kids routine across care. No complaints procedures, no advocacy, no pressure groups. Stigma, discrimination, feelings of abandonment, homelessness, etc etc >

3. I was in the job throughout the 70's until I retired in the noughties. I've been around the care system for almost 70yrs & must have seen 100's of care settings & spoke to 1000's of care experienced people. I've watched or taken part in care leaver politics most of my life >

Read 11 tweets

Ian Dickson

@IDickson258

6 Nov 20

1. I find "co-production" an interesting term when trotted out by care professionals. It can translate as including 1 or 2 carefully selected & poorly informed young people in care in focus groups to validate decision making by professionals. This can also be called "tokenism">

2. "Co-production" must evolve from those with power introducing mechanisms to engage & consult the care experienced community of all ages in all their diversity in policy & decision making, & ensuring through transparent respectful education that the community is well informed >

3. We need to have healthy & clear mechanisms nationally & locally for decision makers to engage the care community as equal partners,, not just using a few selected kids in care or careleavers to validate corporate decision making. We've had that for years >

Read 6 tweets

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