1. I watched the Scottish care review & knew we needed one in England. Care experienced people sharing their truths to gain reform. Breathtaking to observe. We held #CareExpConf that reinforced the readiness of care experienced folk to engage, contribute & work for change> 2. We met Jeremy Corbyn in Glasgow. He committed the Labour party to including a care review in its manifesto for the approaching general election. These were the heady days when an inclusive care review, Scottish style, looked possible in England>

1. Why are all the charities & lobby groups silent about our archaic "leaving care' system? A system that allows kids of 16 to be dumped without care (or aftercare) in unsupported accommodation with lower standards & less inspection? > 2. Why are they silent about kids being discharged from care at 16+ unless they are part of the minority going to higher education? At an age when families support their children more, the care system throws kids out to cope with brutally inadequate support? >

1. Reading Anne Longfield's report, the care system needs review. It has for years & care experienced folk campaigned for it. The govt mutated it into the DfE led MacAlister social care review which lacks the independent leadership to make any difference > 2. More teenagers are coming into care. Why? Poor educational opportunities, poor employment opportunities, poor housing opportunities, poor community support, poor health/mental health support, greater expectation with less chances.The answers require wholesale political reform>

1. Still idly putting notes together for a "book" which realistically will never be written but hopefully my grandkids will see. Finally realising how much I took for granted over years, & how odd I probably am! (People have known that for years!) 🥴🥴> 2. Reading other people's books, like Bob Holman's "The Corporate Parent" about the massive changes in children's see social work in the 50's & 60's,I had the privilege to know & be known by some of the people involved, albeit as a spectator. >

1. When we talk about "We" in the care experienced community - who are "we"? And is there indeed such a thing as the 'care experienced community"? Seems to me before we use both these expressions we should explore them. An ignored issue I have written about this over many years 2. Who is the care experienced community? Is it the frightened 8 year old taken from her mum & siblings & placed in foster care miles from home? Or the 10yr old boy with autism in residential school? The 15yr old girl living with her gran because dad's in prison & mum is dead?>

1. …drenssocialcare.independent-review.uk/engagement-eve… Utterly as expected. Where is the recognition of children with disabilities & special educational needs? How will the Review address the views of the homeless, those in custody, those in poverty in the community? etc > 2. It says it won't be looking at the past experiences of care experienced people,only looking to the future. It fails to recognise that only by looking to the past can the future unfold. It will address the online community & those who complete surveys, leaving out most people>

1. I regret the use of the term "care experienced' to describe people who may have worked for a while in the care sector. This term has been hijacked from those with genuine childhood lived experience of state care #carereview > 2. It matters because terms like 'care experienced" & indeed "experts by experience" may be used by #carereview to describe consultation & engagement. Those who grew up as kids in state care are used to those terms being used to describe the care community & think it means them>

1. article39.org.uk/childrens-soci… I was told again yesterday that I must support the #carereview as the govt were not going to change the Chair, he was not going to step down & it was going ahead. It would be the "only show in town" so I had to "get behind" it even if it was not ideal > 2. article39.org.uk/childrens-soci…. I reject that. The Chair was a political appointment that can still be changed. The @article_39 letter signed by so many distinguished organisations & individuals recognises that. For the sake of our children reform of the Review must follow - & soon>

1. A Sunday rambling. We use the term "care experienced" so much now, particularly in the context of the #carereview. But what does it mean, & who or what are care experienced people? The Review is yet to offer its definition, but it will be critical > 2. Are children still in care settings care experienced? Yes - but what is a care setting? They will include those in children's homes, residential schools, foster care. But they will include those in health & mental health care settings & those with disabilities - won't they? >

1. A thoughtful thread by @MartinBarrow with which I agree 100% but I would add to it if I may >

https://twitter.com/MartinBarrow/status/1363198350850486274

2. Everybody should very much participate, but to do so, we need truly meaningful "experts by experience' panels that will really enable all those with an interest to be identified & engaged.>

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.

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" >

'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!

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 >

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>

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 >

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 >

1. Another ramble about consulting care experienced people. I'm supporting the @ourcareoursay team to get the views of care experienced people as in the public domain & shared with the (yet to be named) Chair of the Care Review Let's start with the survey smartsurvey.co.uk/s/WMGW1P/ 2. smartsurvey.co.uk/s/WMGW1P/ I'm asking care experienced people of ALL ages, whoever you are, where ever you are, to complete the survey. The results will hopefully offer a collective view of the participants about who should be involved in the Review & what needs to be reviewed.>

1. A year ago today, the #careexpconf team presented the care experienced conference reports to the Secretary of State in person. The messages about what care experienced people wanted were passed on to those in power, as promised > 2. eventbrite.co.uk/e/our-care-our… One year on, the #careexpconf team, @CareLeavers, @NIROMP2 & a team of care experienced people came together to offer care experienced people another opportunity to be heard by government>

1. Some information about the @OurCareOurSay2 survey which you will have seen over the past week. (There is a link attached to this post). Care experienced folk of all ages, in all our glorious diversity, are being asked to complete it and send it in > smartsurvey.co.uk/s/WMGW1P/ 2. There've been a few questions about it, which may have led to some confusion. Some folk asked whether @OurCareOurSay2 is part of the forthcoming Care System Review. No, it is not. There is no Care System Review yet & the Chair is yet to be announced > smartsurvey.co.uk/s/WMGW1P/

1. @educationgovuk @10DowningStreet @vickyford Just wondering, do you plan to release the name of the Chair of the English Care Review any time soon or has the Review gone on the back burner? As Scotland get on with delivering their Promise, Westminster continue to say nothing> 2. I think the care experienced family want to know who'll be Chair so it can assess how seriously this govt will take the Review, or will it be another exercise in delivering govt policy rather than a genuine move to reform the care system based on listening to those involved? >