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episode of State of the Nation: Personal Perspectives, Kari Gerstheimer is joined by Comedian Ria Lina, who challenges outdated approaches to education, social care and ageing, making the case for more accessible, visible and human-centred communities.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.  

This final episode of the "State of Our Nation" podcast features a heartfelt conversation between co-hosts Kari Gerstheimer and Anna Severwright as they reflect on the series, and discuss the current challenging state of social care.

They double down on the onslaught of recent policy and financial decisions that seem to be negatively impacting people who rely on social care; discuss reactions to the newly launched Casey Commission and look forward to series 3.

This episode of the State of our Nation shines a light on the critical issue of health and social care inequalities faced by Black and other minority ethnic groups in the UK.

Our guest this time is Charles Kwaku-Odoi DL MFPH, Chief Executive of the Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN), a leading national Black health organisation at the forefront of reducing health inequalities and wider disparities.

Join Kari and Anna as they welcome Svetlana Kotova from Inclusion London to discuss the complexities of charging for social care.

Svetlana Kotova, Director of Campaigns and Justice is a lifelong advocate for disability rights, and shares her journey from her early years in Russia to her impactful work in the UK.

.Are strengths-based assessments a "wolf in sheep's clothing?" They're designed to help you focus on your strengths, but in this episode, Kari and Anna ask a critical question: are they actually doing more harm than good?

Anna Severwright and Kari Gerstheimer talk to guest, James Bullion, former director of Adult Services at Norfolk and president of ADASS, also DHSC lead for social care discharges and recently, interim Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care at CQC.

This omnibus edition of the podcast looks backwards over the past year as well as taking a look forward into 2025.

Anna Severwright and Kari Gerstheimer talk about the why language matters with Bryony Shannon.

Top Tips: Legal Language

There is no such thing as a magic wand but there are magic words. Listen to this section to help you spot when you need to use a phrase to transform your social care outcomes.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Featuring Kirstie Jones (Group People Director at Salutem Care) and Christoph Marr (Managing Director at Marr Procurement).

This month Kari is joined by Kirstie Jones and Christoph Marr to ask how we can solve the ever growing social care workforce crisis. Kirstie tells us about the new Salutem Care Competency Framework and what they are doing to retain staff and increase recruitment into the care sector. Christoph then shares how Marr Procurement are working with care sector organisations to make care work more attractive for care staff and encourage people into the sector.

Featuring Chris Minnoch (CEO of Legal Aid Practitioners Group) and Lainey Gough (Director of Operations and Impact at Access Social Care).

This month Kari is joined by Chris Minnoch and Lainey Gough to talk about all things Legal Aid and Community Care.

They cover the current state of the system and the impact this has on those on working in legal aid, legal aid for community care and how this affects Access Social Care clients, and what changes they would like to see as a result of the upcoming Civil Legal Aid Review.