Anna Severwright and Kari Gerstheimer discuss the importance of 'people power' in social care and how lived experiences can and should shape decision-making.

Legal tips: Assessments Vicky Hughes, legal case worker brings her knowledge and experience working in this area to offer some great tips on how to prepare for assessments to present a strong case for consideration.

In the first part of the episode, Anna and Kari talk to data experts Amit Kohli and Hannah Hewish who co-authored the report. They discuss the stark findings from the latest State of the Nation report into adult social care.

We are delighted to share that on Tuesday 15th October, the Information Tribunal found in our favour for our first Information Tribunal case.

And this is only the start. We are awaiting judgement on our second round of enquiries and It is vital that this campaign continues until we get a positive outcome for this too.

And we’re off! Government ordered to reveal social care data in “landmark court case”. Read the Press Release here.

Introduction to the new series & The power of truth: why government transparency on social care funding matters 

It has been over 3 months since our landmark court case which saw two Government departments attempt to overturn the decision that the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) made in our favour. The ICO decision upheld that the government SHOULD reveal crucial data available on social care funding decision making because it is in the public interest.

Join us for an opportunity to look more closely at the practical application of the regs & guidance, using case-based scenarios to consider the appropriate wording, placing of facts and supporting arguments, and the relevant factors to include in an application for Community Care casework.

Access Social Care are setting out to address the lack of new practitioners coming into Community Care legal practice with opportunities for law students to learn about this area of law and gain real life experience.

Access Social Care, working in partnership with University of York, have piloted a Letter Writing Clinic where law students support Access Social Care clients to write a letter to their local authority about their social care issues.

At Access Social Care, we are calling on all political parties to adequately fund social care so that older, disabled people, and carers get the high-quality support they have a right to.

Although the hearing has concluded for today, we are disappointed that due to late disclosure of further evidence by the government, further representations have been requested by the Tribunal panel before they are able to make a decision.

Two government departments attempt to overturn the decision of the information commissioner in “landmark court case” to avoid revealing social care data

Our commitment to providing access to justice drives every aspect of our work. Recently we were delighted to resolve a pressing case brought to us by our member organisation Dimensions, who support people with learning disabilities and autism, to secure a client’s access to a lease car.

Featuring: Hannah Hewish (Legal Strategy Manager at Access Social Care) and Sarah O'Grady (Social Affairs Correspondent at the Daily Express).

This month, Access Social Care Founder and CEO Kari Gerstheimer is joined by Hannah Hewish and Sarah O'Grady for a special episode discussing the findings of our latest State of the Nation report.

The report is the result of an innovative data collaboration project working with nine different helpline organisations. It allows us to produce a comprehensive assessment of the complex issues facing our sector, and spotlights the emerging themes in social care advice provision.

In this episode, Hannah provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the making of the report and takes us through some of its key findings. We then hear from Sarah about some of the issues behind the numbers, based on her extensive experience reporting on social affairs.

Join us on October 19th for a free webinar exploring the incredible power of data collaboration and sharing the findings of our 2023 State of the Nation report.

Featuring: Dr Cecilia Anim CBE, Clinical Nurse and former President of the Royal College of Nursing

This month Kari is joined by Cecilia Anim for a special mini episode discussing overseas recruitment in the social care sector - a hot topic in the news right now.

They talk about government proposals to reduce immigration, staff shortages in the sector and the exploitation of international workers, as well as how to improve staff retention and why we must properly appreciate the vital work of those in the sector.

We are thrilled to announce that we have been named "Most Innovative Health & Social Care Advocates - England" in the Acquisition International Magazine Non-Profit Organisation Awards 2023! We’re so proud to be recognised in this way for our trailblazing work providing access to justice for those with social care needs.

For families and carers of a disabled person it is vitally important to make arrangements and properly plan for the future when you are no longer there to care for them. On Wednesday 22nd November 2023 we are hosting a webinar with specialist lawyer Philip Warford from Renaissance Legal. He will talk to parents and carers about how to plan for the future using carefully prepared Wills and Trusts.

Featuring: Alan Bird (Chief Technology Officer at Access Social Care), Victoria Albrecht (Founder and CEO at Springbok AI), Miriam Valencia (Head of Digital Content at Access Social Care) and Finbar Mulholland (Product Manager at Access Social Care).

This month, Kari is joined by Alan, Miriam and Finbar from Access Social Care and Victoria from Springbok AI to discuss our award-winning social care legal advice chatbot. They talk about why we decided to build a chatbot, the technology behind it, the journey so far, the challenges and potential of using AI, and what’s next for this exciting project. You can also hear about our new pilot programme, and how we’re working with other organisations to support more people and drive meaningful change. This episode is an illuminating insight into how digital innovation can be a powerful force for good.