Thread by @NickCookUK

A personal 🧵 on my thoughts following today’s publication of England’s #CareReview👇

On Friday 15th February 2021, the then @educationgovuk secretary @GavinWilliamson launched the much anticipated Independent Review of Social Care in England. 1/

The review commenced less than two months later on 1st March, following @JoshMacAlister being appointed as the ‘independent’ chair. A huge role given the bar had already been set incredibly high following the publication of Scotland’s Independent Care Review in Feb 2020. 2/

https://twitter.com/scotgovfm/status/1225033519317102592

The commitment to an independent review was part of the @Conservatives election manifesto in 2019, but many folk have campaigned for such a review for many years. It’s long been acknowledged the “system” has not been fit for purpose for quite sometime. 3/ childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/2020/11/24/ann…

@GavinWilliamson promised to “raise the bar” for vulnerable children” in England. @JoshMacAlister called it a “once in a generation opportunity to transform a system that is needed to give the most vulnerable children safety, stability and love.” 4/

https://twitter.com/joshmacalister/status/1349977413120389121

Quite rightly, there was a pledge to seek the views of children and adults, with @educationgovuk stating “The review will prioritise hearing the voices of children, young people and adults that have received help or support of a social worker, or who have been looked after.” 5/

https://twitter.com/educationgovuk/status/1349977712593666049

There was an application process to join an “experts by experimental” panel. I didn’t disagree with this approach, but there was a risk the review could become ‘exclusive’ and exclude some key groups and people. This has clearly been the case on a number of occasions. 6/

https://twitter.com/article_39/status/1357670936049311744

Contextually, this makes it much harder to give a balanced view on the review and its recommendations. The last year has been difficult for a number of folk I know and admire. I think it’s important to acknowledge this & to remember we are a diverse (and remarkable) community 7/

and, importantly, the review talks about a “system” that hasn’t - and still doesn’t - alway get it right. We cannot escape that painful reality. The wonderful @dez_holmes shared this post last September which really resonated with me. It’s definitely worth a read. 8/

https://twitter.com/dez_holmes/status/1439289452438904833

The review does exceed my expectations. Perhaps more because I didn’t expect the recommendations to be so broad & to include such a strong focus on prevention and early help. This is something I’d been hoping would be included - it’s an area that is significantly underfunded. 9/

https://twitter.com/nickcookuk/status/1527373396232720384

Naturally my attention is drawn to the “5 missions for care experienced children & young people.” There is some good stuff in here talking about how we could be more aspirational by widening “Corporate Parenting” and raising the bar. It’s a good start but needs more detail. 10/

I haven’t had the time to map against the @Careexpconf recommendations and key messages, but I feel the review falls short of responding to all 10 of the key messages. However, the review does talk about “love” and “loving relationships” which provides a glimmer of hope. 11/

https://twitter.com/Careexpconf/status/1179829658260574213

As expected, the review recommends that the UK should be the first country in the world to recognise the care experience as a protected characteristic. I’m personally for this, but found @Jimmypaul90’s thread last week very informative (thanks, Jimmy). 12/

https://twitter.com/jimmypaul90/status/1526179807716941826

It’s also important to acknowledge that @TerryGalloway and colleagues have been campaigning for this to happen for some time.

Possibly the most ambitious recommendation is to increase the life expectancy of care experienced people, by narrowing health inequalities with 13/

https://twitter.com/terrygalloway/status/1495085859787444235

the wider population. I feel this is the only other part of the review that really reflects the need to consider the whole care experienced population (i.e., those 25+). But how will we achieve and measure this?

I need more time to digest and understand the implications of 14/

https://twitter.com/nuffieldfound/status/1446117297567911938

the parts that relate to care market reform, workforce development and systems reform. The one thing I am very nervous about is the suggestion of losing the IRO role. A few years ago, Cornwall changed their IROs to Children’s Rights Advocates - relational not transactional. 15/

There is a lot of rich learning from Cornwall about how this model works.

There is some other good stuff in the review - such as the National Children’s Social Care Framework - but I need time to talk to others and consider the wider implications. Other recommendations 16/

are quite radical and would create significant systemic change.

So, my final reflections…

Is it a copout to say it’s a mixed bag? I certainly think the review is more bold and in-depth than I was expecting, but it is lacking in aspiration & detail in some key areas. 17/

I have two final thoughts. The first is to echo what a number of charities have called for over the last week and urge @educationgovuk and @nadhimzahawi to consider each and every recommendation and to provide the funding needed to revolutionise our current care system so it 18/

https://twitter.com/become1992/status/1526846308954300418

truly puts care experienced people at the heart.

The second is to remember it’s the system that is the problem and not the many remarkable, talented, passionate and dedicated professionals who are doing their very best for children, young people and their families. 👏 💛 19/

And my final, final thought and ask is for the next part of the journey (& it is a journey - this isn’t the final destination) to be more inclusive. Let’s learn from Scotland and be more collaborative as we begin a new chapter and start to create the change that is needed. 20/20

https://twitter.com/thepromisescot/status/1217874714875584513