Growing a Brighter Social Care Future

What if social care helped people truly live, not just survive? People describe existing rather than coping in today's system, one built around getting by rather than supporting dignity, freedom or joy. But it doesn't have to stay this way. Growing a Brighter Social Care Future focuses on proposition rather than protest, imagining and putting forward solutions to pursue the future we want to create. Through powerful stories and hopeful alternatives, it shows what becomes possible when we start with people's dreams, not just their needs. The book also includes a striking graphic novel section depicting our ideal future for social care and what happens when we ask what a good life looks like and design support around that answer. Challenging low expectations, disempowering systems, and transactional thinking, the book shares concrete ideas and real examples of how things can work differently. This hopeful, practical book sets out a vision that puts people and communities in the driving seat. For practitioners, policymakers, campaigners and anyone affected by social care, it's both a manifesto and a guide to transformation. It's not about fixing a broken service. It's about imagining and building something better.

Neil Crowther is a co-convener of #SocialCare Future and a social change strategist specialising in the human rights and opportunities of disabled and older people. He has advised governments, NGOs, and global institutions, and is known for his work on rights-based approaches to social policy and public service reform. Martin Routledge is aco-convener of #SocialCare Futurewhose career spans 40 plus years across local and central government and in community focused and not for profit roles - on an inclusion mission Anna Severwright is co-convener of #SocialCareFuture. A champion of co-production, Annadraws on her personal experience of the health and social care system to provide strategic leadership in pursuit of a social care system that is personalised, focused on what matters to people and supports people to live the life they want. Julie Stansfield is co-convener of #SocialCareFuture, Chief Executive of In Control and a pioneer of self-directed support. With over 25 years' experience in social care, she co-founded the personalisation movement in the UK and works to ensure people have control over their care and lives.

Acknowledgments
Preface
Chapter one: Hope
Chapter two: Frustration
Chapter three: A place called Inkling
Chapter four: Living
Chapter five: Finding and binding
Chapter six: Connecting and growing
Chapter seven: Just do it
References