What does it really mean to live a good life? And what would social care look like if it were designed around people, rather than the systems they have to navigate?

These questions sit at the heart of Series 4 of State of Our Nation, our podcast exploring the future of social care and the changes needed to help everyone live with dignity, choice and control.

Technology has enormous potential to improve people’s lives. But how do we make sure that potential translates into meaningful, lasting change - particularly in social care and the voluntary sector?

In this episode of State of Our Nation, Andy McCabe is joined by award-winning writer, poet, performer and disability rights activist Penny Pepper. Penny has spent more than 30 years campaigning for disability rights and using storytelling and creativity to challenge how disabled people are represented and understood.

Will Pike joins Kari to discuss disability, autonomy, and the systems that shape access to support. Drawing on his experience of spinal injury and his work as a disability rights campaigner, Will explains how bureaucracy, inaccessible environments, and decisions made without disabled people can undermine dignity and inclusion.

They explore why lived experience matters, how universal design can benefit everyone, and what it takes to build care and support systems that work for the people who rely on them.

Watch Will’s short film, Yes I Can, If: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjvYZ2jvvp8

In the latest episode of State of Our Nation, Kari Gerstheimer is joined by columnist and author Sonia Sodha to explore what needs to change in social care — from how we describe it, to how we fund it, and how we value the people who provide it.

In the first episode of State of the Nation: Personal Perspectives, Kari Gerstheimer is joined by Comedian Ria Lina, who challenges outdated approaches to education, social care and ageing, making the case for more accessible, visible and human-centred communities. The conversation also examines unpaid care, the value of humour in serious campaigns, and why we must design systems around real lives rather than forcing people to fit the system.

With a new Prime Minister pledging to invest political capital in social care reform and the Casey Commission's National Conversation closer, there is growing optimism that England has a genuine opportunity to rethink its approach to social care.

Over the course of State of the Nation: Global Perspectives, we have travelled across countries, systems, and ideas to explore one central question: how can we build a social care system that works for the world we live in today?

In the final episode of State of the Nation: Global Perspectives, Kari Gerstheimer is joined by Adelina Comas-Herrera, a leading expert in international long-term care systems, to reflect on the lessons emerging from across the series.

In Episode 8 of State of Our Nation: Global Perspectives, Kari Gerstheimer is joined by Dr Sam Bennett, Disability Programme Director at the Grattan Institute and former senior leader at the National Disability Insurance Agency. With experience spanning both the UK and Australia, Sam brings a rare combination of policy insight and frontline understanding.

In Episode 7 of State of Our Nation: Global Perspectives, Kari Gerstheimer is joined by Andy McCabe to discuss the recent findings of the Casey Commission on social care, exploring societal changes, government responsibilities, and the future of social care reform in England. Featuring insights from Baroness Casey's speech at the Nuffield Conference, the discussion emphasises the importance of informed public engagement, transparency, and systemic change.

In Episode 6 of State of Our Nation: Global Perspectives, Kari Gerstheimer is joined by Brendan Martin to discuss his journey into social care and how small self managed neighbourhood teams in the Netherlands are delivering more relational, person centred care. The conversation explores why the model has been influential internationally and what has been learned from attempts to introduce similar approaches in the UK.

In Episode 5 of State of Our Nation: Global Perspectives, Kari Gerstheimer is joined by Marcus Riley. The conversation explores the structure of Australia’s social care system, including aged care, health and disability services delivered through the National Disability Insurance Scheme. While universal safety nets exist, the system remains fragmented, with tensions between federal and state responsibilities.

In Episode 4 of State of Our Nation: Global Perspectives, Kari Gerstheimer is joined by Donald Macaskill, Chief Executive of Scottish Care, for a wide-ranging and deeply reflective conversation about the state of social care in Scotland and what it reveals about the challenges facing care systems more broadly.

In Episode 3 of State of Our Nation: Global Perspectives, Kari speaks with Mansur Dalal, a leading voice in senior living and care. Mansur is a speaker and author, the former Chair of Common Age, which brings together ageing organisations across the 56 countries of the Commonwealth, and the founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Association of Senior Living India.

In Episode 2 of State of Our Nation: Global Perspectives, Kari is joined by Professor Vic Rayner OBE, Chief Executive of the National Care Forum, for a wide-ranging conversation that blends personal experience, international insight, and a clear challenge to how we think about social care.   

Welcome to our new series of our social care podcast 'State of our Nation.

In this series, Kari Gerstheimer, CEO and founder of Access Social Care speaks with international experts to explore social care systems around the world. She is then joined by Andy McCabe from Social Care Future for the second part of the episode, 'State of our Nation: In Conversation', to reflect on what those global insights could mean for legal rights and social care reform here in England.