Happy Christmas everyone, and all the very best for 2026. Grateful for what we’ve shared this year, and hopeful for what’s ahead. See you on the other side,rested, renewed, and ready for what comes next.

ADASS President Jess McGregor is joined by @blimeysimon.bsky.social , @clentonf.bsky.social, and Freya Viles from Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living for a session on reframing social care and why stories matter. #ncasc25

Enjoying the start of my first #NCASC - @clentonf.bsky.social demonstrating his usual way with words as he argues for storytelling to engage people with social care saying “stories move people, spreadsheets don’t”

#ncasc25 day 2! What does a Fair Pay Agreement mean for adult social care? Panellists include Tandra Forster, Chair of the ADASS National Commissioning Network and @clentonf.bsky.social. #FairPayAgreement #Workforce #adultsocialcare

Personal Health Budgets (PHB) change people’s lives & offer value for ££. New @commcats.bsky.social report packed with people's stories 👇 @tlap.bsky.social @martinwalkersds.bsky.social @juestanny.bsky.social @mroutled.bsky.social @clentonf.bsky.social www.communitycatalysts.co.uk/publications...

Powerful response to Thursday's story on disability hate crime and racism from @clentonf.bsky.social bit.ly/4mZOumv He says: 'Racist and disablist abuse against Inclusion London’s hate crime campaign is a wake up call.' @inclusionlondon.bsky.social www.disabilitynewsservice.com/racist-respo...

As much as we say we do If there are two things you can get everyone in social care to agree on, it’s that coproduction is a good thing in theory, and that it’s hard in practice. The first part of that seems self-evident: social care involves putting people who seek help and people who offer help…

Still unsure about hope? I was too. Then I learned: – It’s not soft. It’s a muscle. – It moves with pain, not around it. – It doesn’t wait. It works. Hope means believing tomorrow can be better if we make it so. #HopeIsADiscipline #CareIsResistance #DisabilityJustice

@tomshakespeare.bsky.social #keynote "If we really thought disabled people were people, we would organise the world very differently." #TCC2025

This isn’t about budgets. It’s about belonging.
Not timelines truth.
Dignity isn’t negotiable. Tell your MP: We need a system that protects everyone not just the lucky few. This isn’t a climbdown. It’s a climb-over. Red tape or belonging?
Fairness for all? #DisabilityRights #PIP P5

If this is a concession, it’s one only a spreadsheet could love. Same need, different treatment?
That’s not fairness. That’s failure. It’s like handing out lifejackets after the flood, or refusing to fight a fire because it started too early. That’s what this feels like. #PIP #DisabilityRights P4

The government says it’s backing down.
But really, they’re backing away.
From fairness. From responsibility. From the truth. This isn’t a fix. It’s a fudge.
A cut dressed up as a concession.
A press release pretending to be protection.
A system where timing matters more than need. P3

Support should be based on what you live with not when you applied. But this policy says: “Wrong date? No help.” That’s not protection. That’s exclusion. 3.7M get PIP. Only 1.5M are protected. 1.3M on DLA many with lifetime awards get nothing. 3.5M still at risk. #DisabilityJustice #PIP P2

Not a Concession. A Cut.
3.5 million disabled people are still being left out. Here's what the PIP “climbdown” really means and why we must not be fooled.
#DisabilityJustice #PIP #SocialCare P1

📢 Webinar Join us 9 July: #SocialCare Reform in England: taking stock and setting the agenda 🪏 With @blimeysimon.bsky.social @natashacurry.bsky.social @richardhumphries.bsky.social @clentonf.bsky.social 🔗 lse.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Everyday phrases can carry the weight of history. Some uplift, some exclude. If we want co-production and care and support that includes everyone, we need to talk about language. Read @clentonf.bsky.social‬'s latest blog bit.ly/4liL1hU

The PM says welfare “must be pushed through.” But for 1.3m Disabled people, this isn’t reform its removal. PIP isn’t a bonus. It’s a lifeline. Cuts dressed as reform are still cuts. We need justice, not judgement. Dignity, not denial. #DisabilityJustice #PIP #LivedExperience

My mum got a Black service, not an NHS service. These words from Lord Victor Adebowale are not just personal they are political. Powerful. Painfully familiar. This isn’t one case. It’s a pattern. A system. A truth we must name to change. p1 #TruthToPower #NHS#TruthToPower #BuildTheWorldWeNeed

@clentonf.bsky.social and @nicksinclair.bsky.social are back and have relaunched the Changing It Up podcast! First guest is Isaac Samuels, who reflects on Equipment Matters, exploring all things community equipment and coproduction @angelacat.bsky.social open.spotify.com/show/1mlPotC...

Only 9% of tech workers come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, compared to 29% in finance. This stark reality hit me hard. Tech can change lives, but only if everyone has access. Change is critical, and it’s on us to make it happen.

#MentalHealth responses must be tailored to community and population needs - gle.world/mental-healt... @steveappleton.bsky.social

Melanie Williams @adass.bsky.social reflects on her year as President of the Directors Association. ‘Coproduction is written through’ ADASS and its next Presidents. @tlap.bsky.social @socialcarefuture.bsky.social @clentonf.bsky.social @mroutled.bsky.social

Woo Hoo! My copy has finally arrived. So very proud to be involved in this book which has brought together some of social work’s richest thinkers and most expressive writers to create an essential’How to’ for anti-racist practice @nimaljude.bsky.social @clentonf.bsky.social @coproisaac.bsky.social

High level opening of the Global Disability Summit #GDS2025 in Berlin today with Olaf Scholz German Chancellor. This is the first time I’ve heard a world leader say #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs making a commitment to 15% of development projects having 15% of their funding specifically for Disability

Govt says welfare spending is “out of control”but OBR data shows it stays at 10.9% of GDP. With cuts? Drops to 10.8%. A 0.1% change.Not a crisis a choice. And disabled people pay the price. 🤔 #TruthNotSpin #DisabilityJustice #SupportDontPunish #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

The recent history and possible future of strengths based practice is taking shape at the Birmingham University IMPACT summit… great to see @clentonf.bsky.social @commcats.bsky.social @ewandking.bsky.social @lynromeo.bsky.social @jonglasby.bsky.social @nicksinclair.bsky.social @ndtihello.bsky.social

Getting started Day 1 …AI in Social Care Summit with Oxford University @tlap.bsky.social Digital Care Hub & a room full of lived experience, tech industry as well as social care expertise too. With @clentonf.bsky.social @kate Jopling #NCAG and our coproduction groups

2/ ☆Room full of local govt folks ☆People sharing their experience of equipment ☆ Debut showing of an excellent talking heads video ft @coproisaac.bsky.social @clentonf.bsky.social et al ☆ Coproduction principles at ❤️ ☆Importance of simple community equipment key message ☆ A challenge for better

Slashing benefits to meet an arbitrary fiscal target would be unethical, short sighted and illogical. ❌ 2 in 5 people receiving disability benefits already experience hardship. This means they are either unable to afford enough food, heat their home or pay household bills. 1/3

You'll find more words of wisdom from @clentonf.bsky.social and many others 💜

Bereaved come together to mark five years since Covid-19 pandemic outbreak www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

This a fantastic opportunity to join a great organisation support inclusive patient public involvement at the forefront of healthcare innovation and transformation.

The UK Day of Reflection on Sunday 9 March will mark five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out more, including suggestions for how to take part and who to reach out to if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health dayofreflection.campaign.gov.uk

Have a great International Women's Day! #IWD2025 #AccelerateAction #RightsEqualityEmpowerment #AllWomenAndGirls #Together

Securing cross-party support for #socialcare reform was always a challenge, but according to @BBCNews, the real barrier isn’t ideology—it’s red tape. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This year's Race Equality Week theme was #EveryActionCounts asking us to focus not on rhetoric but on real, meaningful change. In a new blog, @clentonf.bsky.social asks: How do we ensure that our actions are truly inclusive❓ How can we move from performative to sustainable action❓ bit.ly/3WUZAOC

Generative AI can play a role in improving care and support, but it must be implemented with people at the centre of decision-making. This report identifies: - Principles to inform policy - Practical issues that need addressing - Urgent action needed from Government and regulators bit.ly/3QgYHw5

5/ The stakes are high. Making benefits harder to access—whether by tightening eligibility, redesigning assessments, or replacing cash with vouchers—could harm millions of disabled people who already experience persistently low wellbeing, increasing stress and worsening public health issues.

4/ But barriers exist. The report highlights how complex applications, lack of awareness, and poor decision-making prevent many eligible disabled people from accessing this vital support. For those who do apply, the process can be stressful and dehumanising, worsening existing health conditions.

3/ Our analysis suggests disability benefits have particularly positive impact on wellbeing for those with poor health. Over 4 years, recipients with "poor" health saw a 1.2-point life satisfaction boost (0-10 scale), while the effect for those with "good" health was statistically insignificant.

2/ Key findings: •Every £1 on disability benefit creates a wellbeing benefit worth £1.48. •The wellbeing boost from disability benefit is valued at £12,300 per person per year. •PBE estimates £42bn per year in economic benefit from these wellbeing gains, compared to the £28bn admin cost.

Social care reform is an opportunity we can’t afford to delay.Immediate funding will stabilise the system today, while we work together 2 build a future of dignity, choice, & hope 4 all.Change doesn’t need 2 wait.Let’s act now.Adult social care reform cannot afford 2 wait www.bmj.com/content/388/...

We've got lots of exciting projects coming up in the new year, all supporting our mission to make health and social care more personalised, so more people can get what they need to live their life their way. Want to stay in the loop? Sign up to our newsletter bit.ly/4en1A8i

Here's what we have to say about the announcement of a new Independent Commission to transform social care. The initiative aims to create a National Care Service underpinned by national standards to deliver consistency of care and support across the country. lnkd.in/eRxJyU3j

3/3: Immigration hasn’t decreased, but losing EU workers caused shortages in healthcare & farming. What explains this? #BrexitImpact

2/3: Farming & fishing were promised a boost but lost billions & face worker shortages—why? #BrexitReality

1/3: 5 years on, was Brexit worth £30bn upfront, billions in lost trade, & widespread struggles for workers/businesses? #BrexitCost

Streeting defends timescale for social care reform - www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Wishing You a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! As this year ends, we honour the strength, resilience, & compassion in our communities. Let’s carry hope, embrace new opportunities, and lift each other up. Here’s to kindness, hope, and unity. Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with love. 🎄❤️🎊

And whether the extra spending power helps #socialcare depends on whether it’s spent on provider fees and supporting more adults or goes towards responsibilities like waste collection. Still, it’s more positive news than just looking at the #socialcare grant increase alone. 3/3