Friend shared this video of a man unveiling the library he hid when he fled Damascus in 2011. It’s incredible
Carl Purcell
@carlpurcell.bsky.social
Researcher interested in children and adults social care @hscwru.bsky.social @policyatkings.bsky.social (King’s College London)
The higher education participation rate for UK born Bangladeshi women went from around 2% (not a typo) in 1983 to nearly 67% in 2025 This must be one of the most dramatic, fast social changes in recent British history, and one that is barely noted or understood
I’m amazed anyone needs reminding of this, but local government spending power per person fell by 18% from 2010 to 2024 (would have been 26% but for increases in council tax). At the same time, social care pressures on local govt have grown a lot. The decay of the public realm is NOT a mystery
How have English councils’ funding and spending changed? 2010 to 2024 | Institute for Fiscal Studies
Increases in council funding over the last parliament have not reversed big cuts made during the 2010s, with spending on many services still down 40%.
ifs.org.uk
NEW: Evaluation of the International Recruitment Fund for adult social care for 2024-25 Findings from phase 3 evaluation by Kalpa Kharicha and @carlpurcell.bsky.social www.kcl.ac.uk/news/evaluat...
Evaluation of the International Recruitment Fund for adult social care for 2024-25 | King's College London
Findings from phase 3 evaluation by Kalpa Kharicha and Carl Purcell
kcl.ac.uk
This day in social work history ⏳ 1st March 1971: First edition of the British Journal of Social Work (@BJofSW) published. It included a comment on the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, and a book review of “Marriage and Mental Handicap”. Available here: academic.oup.com/bjsw/article...
Reviews
PHYLLIDA PARSLOE; Reviews, The British Journal of Social Work, Volume 1, Issue 1, 1 January 1971, Pages 125, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.bjsw.a0
academic.oup.com
The current argument of the British right is that Muslims turned out in "blocs" with "family voting" to cast their ballots for a party led by a gay Jewish man, and this shows that multiculturalism has failed, voting is "sectarian" and we are in a crisis. Hmmmmmm.
"Ministers need to wake up." Indeed. Some shift away from the exceptional levels of overseas recruitment 21-24 was natural/desirable. But current "strategy" - no new visas and making life as unpleasant as possible for migrants already here - is madness. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Drop in overseas workers is ‘car crash’ for UK hospitals and care homes, say experts
Care roles hit particularly hard by UK’s lurch to the right on migration, according to analysis of Home Office data
theguardian.com
Next week! Multi-agency working to improve information-sharing on men and keep children safe 24 February 2026 14:00 to 15:15 Online. All welcome With Dr Mary Baginsky, Dr Carl Purcell and Dr Nicole Steils (King's College London) www.kcl.ac.uk/events/multi...
Multi-agency working to improve information-sharing on men and keep children safe | King's College London
Dr Mary Baginsky, Dr Carl Purcell and Dr Nicole Steils (King's College London)
kcl.ac.uk
Sir Bill Utting sort of ennobled in Social Worker terms, here with the equally indomitable David Jones www.socialworktoday.co.uk/News/sir-wil...
Sir William Utting becomes first patron of Social Work History Network | Social Work Today
The Social Work History Network (SWHN) has announced that Sir William Utting CB has agreed to become its first patron, recognising a lifetime of leadership and public service rooted in social work val...
socialworktoday.co.uk
My dad abhors any negative comments about immigrants. Asked him recently why he’s so strong on it: ‘Because we’re always happy to take the rich and clever ones. Which means it’s not about disliking immigrants. It’s about disliking the poor and vulnerable. And that’s a bad human instinct.’
Jonathan Kingham@jonkingh.bsky.social · 10mo agoThis is so disgusting.
As Jesus said: “You’re on your own mate, not my problem”
The Times and Sunday Times@thetimes.com · 10mo agoKemi Badenoch says welfare spending is unchristian
It's such a bizarre framing. Labour MPs think taking 450k kids out of poverty is putting the country first! That's why they wanted it to happen! It's not because they personally benefit.
Robert Saunders@robertsaunders.bsky.social · 10mo agoHeadline on The World at One just now: "Sir Keir Starmer has denied putting the Labour Party before the country by ending the two-child benefit cap". Can we please go back to reporting the actual news, not someone's partisan take on it?
Whatever else this government do (and there's plenty of issues with this budget) ministers will always be able to point to this as an incredible important contribution to the country's future. Almost half a million kids taken out of poverty.
Alex Clegg@alexclegg.bsky.social · 10mo agoScrapping the two-child limit in full is a monumental decision. Well done to all involved in the Child Poverty Strategy, and everyone who has made the case against the policy. OBR says scrapping costs £3 billion in 2029-30 and will lift 450,000 out of poverty
Yes, playgrounds are good. But "up to 200 playgrounds" across a country of 60 million? That's a grain of salt in the Pacific Ocean. And presumably there will be some joyous 200 page application for every council who want to compete in the Playground Hunger Games to fill in...
Josh Westerling@joshwesterling.bsky.social · 10mo agoPlaygrounds are good, small things that matter for children and their families. Cross-generational 'social' infrastructure.
Our contribution to ongoing debates on the reform of children's social care @hscwru.bsky.social No quick fixes: Multi-agency working to improve information-sharing on men and keep children safe url: academic.oup.com/bjsw/article...
No quick fixes: Multi-agency working to improve information-sharing on men and keep children safe
The failure of public agencies such as children’s social care, health and the police to share information about children and families has been repeatedly i
academic.oup.com
Our contribution to ongoing debates on the reform of children's social care @hscwru.bsky.social No quick fixes: Multi-agency working to improve information-sharing on men and keep children safe url: academic.oup.com/bjsw/article...
No quick fixes: Multi-agency working to improve information-sharing on men and keep children safe
The failure of public agencies such as children’s social care, health and the police to share information about children and families has been repeatedly i
academic.oup.com
Nowhere in the hysterical pile-on against the BBC in the British press has anyone mentioned that BBC News now has 77 million viewers & listeners in the US and has established itself as the second most trusted news source there.
"Far from draining our welfare system, migrants are supporting the British state’s solvency." New analysis by @lgilbert.co ukandeu.ac.uk/lower-migrat...
"There is simply no sign of a fiscal catastrophe from the 'Boriswave'. Recent migrants are very likely to be employed, paying tax and seem to be contributing to British society..it will help, rather than hurt, Britain’s fiscal position." Analysis by @lgilbert.co ukandeu.ac.uk/lower-migrat...
Lower migration is bad news for the UK economy - UK in a changing Europe
Lauren Gilbert argues that migrants to the UK are net fiscal contributors, adding much more to the economy than they take out, and that the recent collapse in immigration will harm the UK's economic p...
ukandeu.ac.uk
Nothing on the BBC Radio news this morning. Nothing I could find on their website. This is an MP from the party whose lead in the opinion polls normally ensures them wall-to-wall coverage. She spouts racist nonsense for which even she feels obliged to apologise. What on earth are they playing at?
Reform’s Sarah Pochin forced to apologise after claiming adverts 'full of black people' drive her 'mad’ | LBC
The Runcorn and Helsby MP was responding to a viewer live on air who complained about the demographics of advertising.
lbc.co.uk
Let's not humour those advocating deportation of UK residents with reasons why their plans would not work. Keep it simple, this is not the action of a civilised country. If needed, this will mean complete chaos and destruction of international reputation.
I wrote something for Time Magazine (that sounds so cool) on why the Government needs to get out of its defensive crouch quickly time.com/7326397/uk-s...
Britain's Keir Starmer Is Running Out of Time
The Labour government must start being bold and delivering quickly or it will keep haemorrhaging support, writes Anand Menon.
time.com
Am sending this to Mrs Tim, who (possibly because she's the most voracious reader of fiction I've ever met) would, I know, revert back to "chaotic evil" in a heartbeat were I ever to relax my eternal vigilance.
Jane@localnotail.bsky.social · 12mo agoChaotic evil! *librarian hard stare*
In one crisp para — & the 2 charts he highlights — @chrisgiles.ft.com bursts a huge number of “welfare” myths www.ft.com/content/ee67...
Chris Giles@chrisgiles.ft.com · 11mo agoThere is no need for a moral panic about the UK's welfare system. Far from perfect but recent discourse is nuts Spending is controlled, not spiralling Worklessness is near record lows My column www.ft.com/content/ee67...
The Bishop of Birmingham has written to the Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick about his comments about Handsworth
I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them
This day in social work history ⏳ 30th September 2013: Olive Stevenson, social worker and academic, died. Stevenson was part of Maria Colwell inquiry, and was a founding editor of @BJofSW. See @CommunityCare recent tribute: www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/08/07/a...
'A true doyen of social work': the life and influence of Olive Stevenson - Community Care
Professors David Howe, June Thoburn and Ray Jones reflect on Olive Stevenson's influence on the social work sector and their careers.
communitycare.co.uk
