@emann.bsky.social hi Emily! I don’t have a current number or email for you but wanted to get in touch. If you see this and are happy to be in touch will you email me ruth.patrick@glasgow.ac.uk hope things are good x

Am I the last person in the world to discover the pink Pilates playlists? Getting me through making tea for eight (and three generations) after a 5am start, lots of work w/ @changingrealities.bsky.social @cpaguk.bsky.social @safety-nets.bsky.social & my seventh night solo parenting my four!!!

Not said enough in recent weeks that Bridget Phillipson was the cabinet minister who did the most to secure the abolition of the two-child benefit cap (cited by Starmer as his proudest moment).

Ella and Jonny told Radio 4's WATO what Burnham will have to do if he is to deliver the promised 'breathing space' to families like theirs (listen again from 15 mins in) Spoiler Alert: The VAT cut is a start, but much (much) more is needed. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

World at One - Burnham's new cabinet meets - BBC Sounds

Andy Burnham's new cabinet meets for the first time.

bbc.co.uk

Brilliant opportunity to join the @safety-nets.bsky.social team, working on never-more-timely @nuffieldfoundation.org funded research looking at the relationship between devolution and social security. More info here www.jobs.gla.ac.uk/job/research...

Starmer is not the only one moving on today. My youngest has his last day in a mainstream school, before moving onto more specialist provision in the autumn. A big, big day for us all as he says so long but not good bye to friends made at Saltaire Primary

@hetanshah.bsky.social is there an email address I can get you on? Wanted to invite you onto someting but couldn't see an email on the BA site.

At SPA conference, Baroness Ruth Lister just described surviving the Thatcher years as maintaining “finger in the dyke” politics. I’d like to check the provenance of the phrase but I’m afraid to Google it in a professional setting.

so brilliant to hear Ruth Lister share some big question responses from parents involved in @changingrealities.bsky.social on what gives them hope in dark times! @socialpolicyuk.bsky.social

This really is worth a watch. Such damning evidence on the inadequacy of social security support & why much more is needed if we are to drive child poverty down & ensure all children are able to thrive. I hope Andy B and his advisers are watching.

Changing Realities@changingrealities.bsky.social · last mo.

Tune in now for our take over of the @houseofcommons.parliament.uk Work & Pensions & Education Select Committee. Seven parents sharing experiences & expertise about what needs to change if we are to make a real dent in child poverty [ w/ @cpaguk.bsky.social ] www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...

Family Finances report and briefing out today! Our research shows that the Scottish Child Payment is reducing child poverty but more investment is needed if children are to go beyond surviving to thriving. Similar investment is needed in the rest of the UK. familyfinances.study/findings-rep...

New seat reservation sign on my commute from @glasgow.ac.uk to Bradford. Don’t we all want (& even need) a bit of care and support, and day in, day out?

Having spent the day, much like every other day at present, listening to journalists and broadcasters restate unsubstantiated claims, and elide the fact of difference with a trigger for racist violence, here are simple rules even Chris Mason might grasp. ⬇️

Brilliant letter from a wonderful @glasgow.ac.uk colleague Louise Lawson on why the right to retire is yesterday‘s struggle www.theguardian.com/money/2026/m...

As a proud Bradfordian (by migration from Scotland) it is just incredibly sad to see the support Reform has been able to secure in this multicultural city. Big questions for the city and even bigger questions for @labouruk.bsky.social

Early start to give evidence to select committee on child poverty. Prep reminded me anew just how vital it is to scrap the Benefit Cap 300,000 children would be in less deep poverty if the cap were to go (@cpaguk) & DWP figures suggest 60,000 will not fully benefit from 2CL abolition while it stays

"families like mine don’t talk about the cost of living any more – now it’s the cost of survival" important and compelling piece by Ella from @changingrealities.bsky.social today - www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Struggling families like mine don’t talk about the cost of living any more – now it’s the cost of survival | Ella Michalski

Trying to make ends meet is an impossible effort, and things are rapidly getting worse. It’s time the government listened to people like us, says Ella Michalski of Changing Realities, a project workin...

theguardian.com

Gorgeous spring morning for my hard to beat commute to @glasgow.ac.uk @uofgussp.bsky.social along the Carlisle Settle line.

Barnstorming letter on new proposals to tackle NEETs 'crisis' by @katharinesut.bsky.social @financialtimes.com 'For this debate to be meaningful, both government and parliament must listen to the lived experience of those navigating the systems designed to support them.' www.ft.com/content/573f...

Letter: How parliament ignored a disability charity’s evidence

From Katharine Sutton, Managing Director, Aspire Community Works, London E2, UK

ft.com

'Since my youngest son started primary school in 2023, I have been fighting to ensure that physical restraint, seclusion and suspensions are not part of his everyday diet.' My personal take on the Schools White Paper for @prospectmagazine.co.uk www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/pol...

My children have additional needs—I have to fight to get them support

The schools white paper must be a turning point for Send provision

prospectmagazine.co.uk

SEND reform hopes, fears and realities @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social who knows whereof she speaks. Her point about not reassessing until after transition to 2ndary school is really important

Prof Ruth Patrick@ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Grateful to @aloner.bsky.social @prospectmagazine.co.uk for commissioning my (very) personal take on the schools white paper, which also draws on joint work with @changingrealities.bsky.social @cpaguk.bsky.social www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/pol...

Grateful to @aloner.bsky.social @prospectmagazine.co.uk for commissioning my (very) personal take on the schools white paper, which also draws on joint work with @changingrealities.bsky.social @cpaguk.bsky.social www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/pol...

💯 My son who is in year two will be part of the first intake to have their EhCPs reviewed when they enter year six in 2029.

Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Going to be posting a full analysis of the SEND plans tomorrow but this is a really misleading BBC headline. The new process will come in from 2029 not 2035.

Incredible to see @changingrealities.bsky.social named as one of the @bigissue.com Change Makers. So much more change to be made & no one better to do it with than the over 200 parents we work with and @cpaguk.bsky.social & @lshtm.bsky.social @glasgow.ac.uk

Changing Realities@changingrealities.bsky.social · 6mo ago

🎉 Changing Realities has been celebrated as a 2026 @bigissue.com changemaker for our work in the politics and activism category 🎉 @uofgussp.bsky.social @glasgow.ac.uk www.bigissue.com/news/activis...

I wrote for the Guardian about why Jim Ratcliffe's talk of Britain being "colonised" by immigrants crosses the line between legitimate debate and inflammatory rhetoric. It fuses echoes of Powellism with great replacement conspiracies of "civilisational erasure" www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Forget Jim Ratcliffe’s half-apology: to speak of immigrants ‘colonising’ Britain is wrong and sinister | Sunder Katwala

He fused an echo of Enoch Powell with the spirit of the far right’s great replacement theory. This is no way to progress a humane migration debate, says Sunder Katwala, director of British Future

theguardian.com

'Principles for the Schools White Paper' published today - from parents who know exactly what change is needed and why: www.changingrealities.org/writings/pri...

The Schools White Paper is a vital opportunity to reform school support so that it works for all children. Changing Realities parents, who are all raising children on a low income, have set out what they would like to see in the White Paper on SEND reforms, parental engagement, and on the government’s approach to enrichment. Parents want to work directly with government to deliver the ambitious changes needed. While we may not agree on everything, one thing on which we all – and we believe government too – do agree is that the current system of SEND support is completely broken, and requires urgent and radical reform.

changingrealities.org

Ex-Ofsted Chair Amanda Spielman showing a truly shocking ignorance: “We need to take care that we’re not characterising having to make an effort as proof of a special need.” (And that’s just the start) www.politicshome.com/news/ar...

Ex-Ofsted Chair Amanda Spielman Interview: SEND, Gentle Parenting And Ruth Perry

Conservative peer and former Ofsted chair Baroness Spielman talks to Sienna Rodgers about the SEND crisis, her time at the regulator and why some p...

politicshome.com

For future reference, this is what a Universal Credit review looks like 👇

Resolution Foundation@resolutionfoundation.org · 6mo ago

🧵 NEW: Our report 'Listen and learn' sets out how the Government should improve Universal Credit (UC) for the 15 million people who rely on it. 13 years after its roll-out began, it’s time to get UC right. We've co-produced recommendations with @changingrealities.bsky.social participants 👇

🧵 on new analysis w/ @resolutionfoundation.org on why if Universal Credit is to be improved it is time to ‘listen and learn’ to experts like@changingrealities.bsky.social For more on why govts should move from a ‘test and learn’ to a ‘listen and learn’ approach 📚 academic.oup.com/ooec/article...

Living at the sharp end of socio-economic inequality: everyday experiences of poverty and social security receipt

Abstract. This commentary explores lived experiences of social security and poverty, drawing on qualitative data generated over 11 years, and across four r

academic.oup.com

Resolution Foundation@resolutionfoundation.org · 6mo ago

🧵 NEW: Our report 'Listen and learn' sets out how the Government should improve Universal Credit (UC) for the 15 million people who rely on it. 13 years after its roll-out began, it’s time to get UC right. We've co-produced recommendations with @changingrealities.bsky.social participants 👇

Today we launch our co-produced report with Resolution Foundation. Participants from CR shaped many of the discussions and recommendations that you will find within the report. We call for structural and cultural changes to UC that could drastically improve interactions with the system. Read below👇

Resolution Foundation@resolutionfoundation.org · 6mo ago

🚨 New report! 🚨 The Government must increase trust in Universal Credit as full roll out brings 15 million people into the system. Listen and learn, produced in partnership with @changingrealities.bsky.social, draws on testimony from UC claimants and welfare advisors ⤵️ buff.ly/TjrE4OW