Croydon Mencap and the Casey Commission: Putting People at the Heart of Social Care

Sep 11

Last week we enjoyed meeting people who draw on social care, who are supported by Croydon Mencap.

Thanks very much to Katherine Wynne, CEO Croydon Mencap, who kindly hosted the session and allowed us the opportunity to share what we do in our Community Hubs. Jennine Bailey, our Senior Advice Co-ordinator for the Croydon Hub, explained that we help people understand their legal rights to social care and empower them to access support.

We also welcomed James Mackie from the Casey Commission. In April 2025, Baroness Louise Casey started working with a team of people (called the independent commission into adult social care). They will look at how to change support for adults in England and make it better. James was given the opportunity to meet people who are supported through social care and have direct experience of the current system. In small groups they discussed the good and the bad of their current social care support and talked about what they would like to see change. There were no restrictions on their ideas - we simply asked:

'If you had a magic wand, what would you change about social care or your support?'

Here are a couple of insights that emerged in the discussion.

Health and Social Care Flexibility

One participant with a learning disability explained that some essential services are free (e.g. dentist) while others are not (e.g. hygienist). For him, the hygienist is more important, but it is unaffordable.
He suggested people should be able to pick and choose which services are free, so support can meet individual needs more flexibly.

Experiences of Education and Employment

A participant with a learning disability shared his negative experiences of school. He felt misunderstood, unsupported, and bullied, which led to him leaving school early.
Despite multiple job applications with his mother’s support, he struggled to secure work.
He described government Access to Work as “functional but not caring” and not creative in supporting his needs.
Discovering the charity, Status Employment in Croydon was 'life-changing'. They provided support throughout with interviews, inductions, workplace communication challenges, and ongoing adjustments.

🙏 We’d also like to send our thanks to Katie and Scott Peacock who travelled all the way from Gloucestershire to join this event and add their expertise and insights.