The dictionary definition of ‘respite’ is “a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant”. [1] If I was into banning words, that first sentence would be the blog post. Eno…

Last Monday me and Tricia Nicoll chatted for an hour with a group of people who had signed up to our online ‘Gloriously Ordinary Language: Keeping our language human, inclusive and real’ session ab…

“A person-centred approach puts people at the heart of care.” “The person-centred approach treats each person as an individual human being” “A person-centred approach considers the w…

Join The Writers Workshop and Bryony Shannon to celebrate the launch of her new nonfiction book, Rewriting Social Care.

Today is United Nations International Day of Older Persons, observed under the theme “Older Persons Driving Local and Global Action: Our Aspirations, Our Well-Being and Our Rights”. It’s a day…

Yesterday I received a direct message on Instagram from Maria. She said she hoped I didn’t mind her writing to me out of the blue, but that she was reading my book, and she wondered if she co…

‘Professional’ is yet another of the ‘us and them’ words that dominate our narrative. It’s a blanket term used to distinguish the people who work in organisations (regardless of any professional qu…

In my previous ‘What do we call them?’ post, I wrote about ‘people we support’ and ‘people who draw on care and support’ – two phrases that are increasingly replacing references to ‘service u…

Changing it Up · Episode

As part of the Gloriously Ordinary Language programme I run with Tricia Nicoll, we spend a full day focusing on the language we use to communicate with and about people. We begin these se…

“Signposting: “the act of telling someone which organization they need to go to to find the help they need.” Cambridge Dictionary [1] “‘Signposting’ indicates that the client will not be supported …

While many words make me go hmmm, there are some that make me squirm the most, either due to what they reflect about the way we think about people (like ‘case’ and ‘non-compliant’) or about the way…

“Pathways: Not sure. But modelled on Hampton Court Maze.”  Mark Neary [1] In everyday life, pathways meander through parks or fields or forests, offering direction. A route towards a destinati…

“Living an unfilled life carries a greater risk of harm than what may befall someone in pursuit of their dreams. The latter can be folded into a story; the former is the absence of story. The latte…

“Living an unfilled life carries a greater risk of harm than what may befall someone in pursuit of their dreams. The latter can be folded into a story; the former is the absence of story. The latte…

Join Bryony Shannon, author of the popular Rewriting social care blog, to explore why language matters in social work and social care.

Join Bryony Shannon, author of the popular Rewriting social care blog, to explore why language matters in social work and social care.

YouTube video by Gloriously Ordinary Lives

So today is apparently random acts of kindness day. Yesterday was national almond day. And on Saturday it’s national love your pet day. Who knew!? But I’m getting distracted now (check out awarenes…

While the word ‘bed’ might not have the same depth of meaning as ‘home’, if you think about your own bed, it may well evoke similar associations and emotions. Familiarity. Safety. Privacy. Comfort.…

“It’s a brave professional who talks about love and social care in the same sentence…”Alex Fox [1] We don’t talk much about love in social care. We focus instead on the shadows. Safeguarding. Abuse…

Gloriously Ordinary Language is an eight-month programme helping councils and social care organisations rehumanise language, reconnect practice with principles, and reimagine care and support.

I feel fortunate and grateful to have had plenty of time for ‘just’ being over the last couple of weeks. Getting up when I’m ready rather than when the alarm wakes me. Enjoying time with family and…

I feel fortunate and grateful to have had plenty of time for ‘just’ being over the last couple of weeks. Getting up when I’m ready rather than when the alarm wakes me. Enjoying time with family and…

The words used to describe human beings who choose to move to the UK reveals where power really lies in our politics and media, says The Bear

Dive into the heart of social work in this pioneering A-Z reference guide which brings theory to life through the lived experience of social workers.Drawing on narrative accounts from a ...

Multiple sources say the Treasury is deeply nervous about the cost of fixing social care, and that the PM is yet to decide how to proceed.

YouTube video by Channel 4 Comedy