In 2018, my Grandma was deprived of her liberty without safeguards. That experience changed our lives. I've written about it for @openjusticecop.bsky.social as part of their blog series on the AGNI decision overturning Cheshire West: openjusticecourtofprotection.org/2026/06/25/o...

Overturning Cheshire West and my Grandma’s experience of ‘the death house’ care home

Born in 1930, my Grandma was funny, cheeky, loving and firmly opinionated. She had been diagnosed with end-stage heart failure and vascular dementia, with fluctuating capacity and had been living h…

openjusticecourtofprotection.org

Rereading The Mill on the Floss as a parent carer made me realise how little some questions change. What is education for? How do we decide which lives we value? And what happens when a child's worth is measured by the future we imagine for them? substack.com/@elissanoves...

No Bigger Price: George Eliot, SEND and the Lives We Choose to Value

Allen, Walter James , “'It is coming, Maggie!' Tom said, in a deep hoarse voice, loosing the oars, and clasping her.,” George Eliot Archive, accessed July 16, 2026, https://georgeeliotarchive.org/item...

substack.com

Horrendous prospect this: the rights-grab leaves children and families 'at the mercy of politicians who will then vandalise their lives'. #SaveOurChildrensRights

John Harris@johnharris1969.bsky.social · last yr.

What I wrote on Sunday, and in today's FT, here it is. If Labour takes SEND families' rights away, this may well be what we have to face, with no defences

We talk a lot about safeguarding. About supporting people to live independently & community safety. Support was stripped away by austerity, dismantled by design. It left people at risk & let crisis take hold (as in this case). We can do so much more. So why aren’t we? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

On 24th June, I observed a Court of Protection hearing on whether enforced treatment for a woman with severe anorexia should end. It was a difficult reckoning with what it means to protect a life. I wrote about it for @openjusticecop.bsky.social openjusticecourtofprotection.org/2025/07/04/n...

I’m really pleased to see this. Universal high quality end-of-life care is not easy and is notably more expensive than assisted dying. But it is what a truly civilised society offers. www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

New plan would ‘transform’ end of life care for 100,000 in England and Wales

Palliative care commission set up to provide high-quality, holistic support following assisted dying vote

theguardian.com

News you may have missed on Thursday/Friday: A coroner has told the DWP to take urgent safety measures following the suicide of a man who became paranoid after suddenly receiving £5,000 in benefit arrears, five years after a similar call by another coroner.

DWP must take urgent safety steps on large payments, says coroner after suicide, five years on from earlier inquest warning

A coroner has told the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to take urgent safety measures following the suicide of a man who became paranoid after suddenly receiving £5,000 in benefit arrears, f…

buff.ly

Seen this story popping up here this morning www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Dunno what it says about me that I'm not shocked or surprised. It seems pretty common place. No action, no charges. Human rights abuses just accepted #NotFullyHuman

CCTV shows pupils abused and locked in padded room

Police have said staff will not face action over abuse of autistic children shown in videos leaked to the BBC.

bbc.co.uk

I spoke to so many parents for this story about what many termed “psychological abuse” at this acclaimed London academy. Almost every one cried. This is trauma not belonging. www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Teachers at top academy in Hackney ‘screamed at’ and humiliated pupils, say angry parents

Mossbourne academy accused of bullying and damaging children’s mental health as local authority asked to step in

theguardian.com

I won't directly share the footage because it is incredibly distressing but it's important to understand that this sort of "calming room" is routinely used in schools around the country every day and it still causes kids trauma, even without being physically assaulted. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

CCTV shows pupils abused and locked in padded room

Police have said staff will not face action over abuse of autistic children shown in videos leaked to the BBC.

bbc.co.uk

I’m speaking in the #MentalHealthBill in the Lords today about the inappropriate detention of autistic people & people with learning disabilities Thanks to @droliverlewis.bsky.social & @thesmallplaces.bsky.social for their help & input

Oliver Lewis@droliverlewis.bsky.social · 2y ago

House of Lords 2nd reading on the #MentalHealthBill starts at 2:30pm today, Monday 25 Nov. Look out for @baronesskeeley.bsky.social's speech 😀 Watch live - parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...

Happening now ⬇️⬇️

Oliver Lewis@droliverlewis.bsky.social · 2y ago

House of Lords 2nd reading on the #MentalHealthBill starts at 2:30pm today, Monday 25 Nov. Look out for @baronesskeeley.bsky.social's speech 😀 Watch live - parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...

Excellent article from @rachel.stopsafetyvalve.uk deconstructing the shambles Public Accounts Committee on 'supporting children & young people with SEN' & what the DfE newspeak actually means. www.specialneedsjungle.com/commons-comm...

Commons committee lets the Department for Education off the hook—so we’ll do the scrutiny instead - Special Needs Jungle

The Commons PAC quizzed top Education & Health civil servants about SEND. It was a bit too gentle, so we scrutinised them instead.

specialneedsjungle.com

go.bsky.app/4JubDE9 I have added you to my new(bie) starter pack...you might find some lovely folks to follow in here 😀

NEW POST: What’s happening with the #SEND and AP Change Programme? Matt Keer brings a pithy end-of-year update for your reading, er, pleasure… www.specialneedsjung...{SOCIAL_NETWORK}&utm_medium=ZM

The Public Accounts Committee hearing to discuss "support for children and young people with SEN" was concerning in so many ways. You can watch the full meeting here: parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/d1…

Trying to find my people/those with similar interests here and the #LearningDisability results I'm getting are minimal, so started trying to curate this list go.bsky.app/J6k8Rsr As per, shout if you'd like added. I know I am missing people. All welcome #carer #intellectualdisability #LDNursing

Another helpful starter pack from @georgejulian.bsky.social ⬇️⬇️

George Julian@georgejulian.bsky.social · 2y ago

Am loving starter packs as a way to curate things. Here's a start at #health and #socialcare authors and journos, mostly UK but not all. Please tell me who I'm missing so I can add them, TY go.bsky.app/4xhUk2S

⬇️⬇️

Matt Keer@captaink77.bsky.social · 2y ago

Hi all - new to Bsky, so this is a test intro thread to say hi I'm a parent to two deaf young men. Together, we navigated the English special educational needs & disability system for 20 years. Would not recommend I share what I know about SEND on here, & on @spcialndsjungle.bsky.social

⬇️#OpenJustice starter pack⬇️

George Julian@georgejulian.bsky.social · 2y ago

No idea what am doing here really but have created a starter pack of #OpenJustice bods, it's small (but perfectly formed) but would love to add more people to it. Please shout if you'd like to be on it go.bsky.app/T1DRtFL can be anyone whose interested, observing, reporting, just holler/reply.

"We found a child in such bad accommodation with disabilities that there were rats eating through their feeding tubes every night” www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Fears grow over UK children at risk placed in illegal care homes

Rising number of vulnerable youngsters are being forced into unsuitable accommodation including Airbnbs, bedsits and caravans

theguardian.com

An unelected person decided to spend £1 MILLION pounds of tax payers money putting a vulnerable child in an Airbnb prison. A hearing to put them there could be a Teams call and their parents would not be entitled to legal aid to try to stop it from happening. www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Fears grow over UK children at risk placed in illegal care homes

Rising number of vulnerable youngsters are being forced into unsuitable accommodation including Airbnbs, bedsits and caravans

theguardian.com

I've just added a bunch of good people to my SEND starter pack. Still qplenty of room on it, so if you are a SENDCO, a SEND leader, or a SEND consultant, then do wave 👋 or say 'hello' to this post and I'll add you. go.bsky.app/UrbNzMT

Thanks so much Sarah 🤗 yes I have my Ollie the octopus workbook the story is around a mum who dies ans there are a lot of activities and guidance to support (I run training on this too) and my trauma deck of cards which can be used for grief too. Hope that helps

This is fantastic ⬇️

Sarah Johnson (was Dove)@phoenixedsarah.bsky.social · 2y ago

📌 I have created a number of free resources and will pin them here (if I do it correctly) Perhaps you are supporting a younger child who has suffered from bereavement www.phoenixeducationconsultancy.com/_files/ugd/b...

📌 I have created a number of free resources and will pin them here (if I do it correctly) Perhaps you are supporting a younger child who has suffered from bereavement www.phoenixeducationconsultancy.com/_files/ugd/b...

📌this is in particular for children that might need support with emotional regulation #SEND . A 17 page resource pack on that subject www.phoenixeducationconsultancy.com/_files/ugd/b... #thisisAP, #EduSky

Small boy's first time at Twickenham. Initial excitement turned into temporary overwhelm, but after a wee break outside, he wanted to head back in & watched the whole game ❤️ The accessibility staff and stewards were really helpful and kind. A lovely experience ❤️

If you’re a parent of a disabled child who relies on the LA to provide transport to school, please consider taking part in this survey. Contact A Family are campaigning for better transport to school, esp for those who are not of statutory school age. #SEND www.surveymonkey.com/r/TransportM...

Transport Matters Survey

Take this survey and help Contact campaign for better transport for disabled children and young people

surveymonkey.com