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Clare McGrath

@chmacg.bsky.social
464 followers 186 following 41 posts

Exhausted full-time Carer of adult son. Angry about how shit Adult Social Care is for most and trying to influence positive change locally one small step at a time. Currently trying to learn the legislation because someone has to.

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Reposted by Clare McGrath
Tom Shakespeare @tomshakespeare.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Social care for disabled adults is in as much crisis as support for elderly people – so why is the government silent about it? | John Harris
Working-age adults such as my son, who is autistic, face an unreliable system, yet ministers talk only of a national care service for older people, says Guardian columnist John Harris
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
"A national care service needs more than a great speech" cascaidr.org.uk/2026/10/02/a...
cascaidr.org.uk
A National Care Service needs more than a great speech…. - Centre for Adults' Social Care - Analysis, Information and Dispute Resolution
The Quick Read (here’s a link to the 15 minute read, here if you’ve got time) Andy Burnham’s promise of a National Care Service is a welcome political shift. It places adult social services, social wo...
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Read the room, @carers-uk.bsky.social 🙄
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Same.
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Reposted by Clare McGrath
Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
We need to show rightwing newspapers that actions have consequences. Add your name: goodlawproject.org/s/abb8a1
goodlawproject.org
Jason Arday: Demand a public inquiry now | Good Law Project
Commission an immediate public inquiry into how to ensure a responsible press given its contribution to Dr Arday’s tragic death.
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
I enjoyed this prom as well. The choir master is my niece's husband so I guess I am a little biased though. 😊
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Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
My middle son and I attended the Stand Up To Racism counter protest in Birmingham today. Well done to the brilliant Brummies who turned out and showed the fascists that there is no place for them in our city. 💪🏼💪🏼
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
As a pensioner (also !) I suspect you are right, but as a 24/7/365 carer whose Carers' Allowance vanished the day I reached State Pension Age I really need it.
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Reposted by Clare McGrath
Down's Syndrome Association @dsa-uk.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Carol Boys OBE, Chief Executive of the Down’s Syndrome Association provides an initial response to the Down Syndrome Act draft statutory guidance consultation. Read more: loom.ly/mv4dCzA
Image of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. The sky is cloudy.
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
Did you see that the much lauded school census data on DS is also a damp squib? The 'DS data collection' consisted of schools being asked to identify the primary and secondary impactful educational needs for each pupil - with a new DS code being one of the options and therefore not mandatory. 😂
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
New school census data about pupils with Down's syndrome isn't going to be published after all, due to 'data collection issues'. (Schools were given autonomy to report on what they considered to be each pupil's two most important learning needs). Who would have thought it, eh?! 🙄😂
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
According to the latest Parliamentary written answer referencing the Down syndrome Act, publication of the world-leading DS Guidance has moved from happening this summer to 'in due course'. Who would have thought it, eh? 🙄😂
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neilmcrowther @neilmcrowther.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
A few years ago as the Down Syndrome Bill was introduced into Parliament by Liam Fox MP it became clear that a key person working on it was also the COO of Turning Point UK, it was drafted by a pro life evangelical Barrister….
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Stephen Unwin @stephenunwin.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
Book launch.
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Rachel Adam-Smith @rachela-s.bsky.social · 09/06/2025
Visual story of our hospital stay at start of year Hospital admitted today: “Staff sometimes take a step back & leave the loved one or carer to provide much of the care.” That carer was me Stayed 24/7 doing all care while @DWP stopped both PIP & CA Reality of unpaid care 🧵
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Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Please take a moment to read, sign and share. 🙏🏼 petition.parliament.uk/petitions/71...
petition.parliament.uk
Petition: Fund a full bursary and maintenance fund to train Learning Disability Nurses
At a time when the demand across health and social care is so high, numbers entering the LD nursing profession are too low. To halt this decline, support the profession with a full bursary and mainten...
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Reposted by Clare McGrath
Liz Herrieven @drlizherrieven.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
**NEW** guidance for HCPs to use when implementing the #MentalCapacityAct for adults with a #LearningDisability. Inc template documentation, guide to reasonable adjustments and useful flow chart #FOAMed #MedSky #NurseSky www.england.nhs.uk/publication/...
england.nhs.uk
NHS England » Guidance to support implementation of the Mental Capacity Act in acute trusts for adults with a learning disability
NHS England » Guidance to support implementation of the Mental Capacity Act in acute trusts for adults with a learning disability
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
Such elitism is already having a negative impact and I agree, it is hugely irritating.
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Stephen Unwin @stephenunwin.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
It’s getting real! Available June 5th.
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
Whilst I appreciate that organisations like @dsa-uk.bsky.social have people w DS at their heart, I was sad at two of their recent posts - mainstream EHCPs and social care charging - both of which could have referenced 'people with LD including those with DS'. Neither issue was DS exclusive. 😔
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Stephen Unwin @stephenunwin.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
"An exhilarating journey from ancient philosophy to the contemporary era exploring how people with learning disabilities have been marginalised, excluded and even erased from cultural and historical record. A must-read." Sara Ryan (Justice for Laughing Boy)
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neilmcrowther @neilmcrowther.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Gonna get lost under the news avalanche that is the local election results, but here are the 'Term of Reference' for Baroness Louise Casey's commission on adult social care. Bit of a cloudy soup I thought www.gov.uk/government/p...
gov.uk
Independent commission into adult social care: terms of reference
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Good Law Project @goodlawproject.org · 19/04/2025
We are committed to stand with the trans community, whatever it takes. Will you join us? goodlawproject.org/crowdfunder/...
goodlawproject.org
Fighting fund for trans rights | Good Law Project
Stand up for trans rights 🏳️‍⚧️ Join me and @GoodLawProject and help us fight the rollbacks on trans rights in the UK.
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Stephen Unwin @stephenunwin.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
"This book is both heartrending and gorgeous. It crosses the line many times but, ultimately, it’s about love. He teaches us humanity." Miriam Margolyes Published June 5th, available for preorder now.
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
Happy birthday! Have a lovely day 🎂🕺🌞
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Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Trump’s tariffs on automobiles will (according to business analysts) strip £6billion from the West Midlands region alone. I live minutes away from JLR and many locals rely on the factory for work. This is devastating.
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
He then nailed his colours to the mast by proposing amendments to our abortion laws making it harder to have an abortion if the fetus has DS. Many people think the Act is exclusive and divisive and that all people with LD (ID) should have equal access to the measures that ensure they flourish.
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
Here in the UK, the 'Down Syndrome Act Guidance' is due to be published in the summer. It was instigated by a Conservative Member of Parliament aided by a number of anti-abortionists from the DS community.
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
Hmmm, the “Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act” is an anti-abortion bill. Who would have thought it.... 🤔
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Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Much welcome news that @dsa-uk.bsky.social are playing an integral part in formulating the guidance around the #DownSyndrome Act. www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/news/news-re...
downs-syndrome.org.uk
Down Syndrome Act 2022: Three years on... what do we know? - Downs Syndrome Association
A summary of the current situation regarding the Down Syndrome Act 2022, and when the draft guidance will be published for review.
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Yesterday I dipped back into the Dark Place and really wished I hadn't. (For context, there is STILL no sign of the long-awaited 'world-leading' Down Syndrome Guidance, just a lot of anti-abortion propaganda and photo opps) 🤢🤮
Image shows an X post from Lee Anderson MP in which he congratulates himself for attending a DS Policy group event in Parliament and exclaiming his support for people with DS.  This is accompanied by a beaming photo of the MP flanked by a selection of people with DS.
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Frances Ryan @francesryan.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Labour’s reported disability benefit cuts are not just about budgeting but a belief: paid work is a virtue (and people who don’t perform it deserve a worse life than everyone else). My col. in tomorrow’s paper. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
There is a shameful British tradition of demonising disabled people. Why is Labour reigniting it? | Frances Ryan
Ministers run away from a wealth tax and then concoct a punitive benefits system. They have made that choice and it’s immoral, says Guardian columnist Frances Ryan
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
So do I!
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
A leaflet from @dsa-uk.bsky.social with an easy to understand summary of the recent JR Consent Order concerning Councils clawing back Direct Payments and imposing 'blanket' surplus policies. Please share with anyone who would benefit from knowing this. www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/about-downs-...
downs-syndrome.org.uk
Understanding Your Rights in Direct Payments - Downs Syndrome Association
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Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
If you’ve been listening to File on 4 today about people with #LearningDisabilities and autistic people being held in mental heath units, you may want to purchase this book. ‘Beautiful Lives’ explores how we got learning disabilities so wrong.
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Reposted by Clare McGrath
Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Yet another story of appalling neglect of people with learning disabilities, and autistic people. www.itv.com/news/2025-03...
itv.com
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
Teams and Zoom are platforms where I have meetings imposed on me by professionals in which I inevitably have to fight to retain the care and support we so desperately need for our younger son. I am sad to see Skype go as it is my 'safespace' where I talk to my elder son, whom I miss dreadfully.
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
"We need a specific learning disability act that sets out enforceable policies to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities." This is what we have always needed, instead of a divisive, toothless (and invisible!) Down Syndrome Act.
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Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
An essential book on understanding #LearningDisabilities and, as the title says, how we got them so wrong.
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Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Unless,of course, you have a #LearningDisability. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
UK men and women can expect to live longer, data show
Boys born in the UK in 2023 can expect to live on average to 86.7 years, and girls to 90, experts suggest.
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Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
This, every day, this ⬇️
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neilmcrowther @neilmcrowther.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
Just finished (in less than 24 hours) Maff Potts' brilliant new book 'Friends and Purpose'. It caused me to write this. Connect 4. But read the book instead. makingrightsmakesense.wordpress.com/2025/02/16/c...
makingrightsmakesense.wordpress.com
Connect 4
I’m a hopeless, slow book reader, rarely getting through a novel unless pinned to a sun bed for several days. So the fact I received my copy of Maff Potts’ ‘Friends and Purpose&#8…
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Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
With the latest news about the Assisted Dying Bill, it seems that if you want to end your life, you need to sit before a panel and not the judiciary. However, if you’re a young person with a learning disability who wants to access their Child Trust Fund, you have to go to the judiciary. 🤔
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
So very sad to learn of the death of Helena Bell, Artistic Director, Kali Theatre. We flat-shared as students back in the day and she was the kindest, most generous person. Much love to her friends @kalitheatreuk.bsky.social and to her family. 💔 www.thestage.co.uk/news/tribute...
thestage.co.uk
Tributes paid to artistic director who championed South Asian women writers
Helena Bell, artistic director of theatre company Kali, has died following a short illness
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
One of the Falmouth-based lifeboats, 'Richard Cox Scott' retired yesterday after 23 years of service. A flotilla of lifeboats from all the neighbouring stations and a coastguard helicopter accompanied her as she quietly left harbour for the last time without pomp or fuss. Very moving.
A flotilla of 6 lifeboats leaving Falmouth Harbour heading for open seaTwo lifeboats on the open sea being circled by a coastguard helicopter.
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Ramandeep Kaur @mumof3amigos.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Great advice on Moneybox R4 from @danwhite1972.bsky.social about disability benefits and where and how to get advice on claiming them. Also, Child Trust Funds and the problems encountered by young people who lack the mental capacity to access them when they turn 18. (Spoiler: you’ll hear from me)
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Well, no one will be attempting to use the *new-build* A and E dept with these wait-times on the NHS app...
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Steve Hardy @stevehardyldn.bsky.social · 26/12/2024
THE circumstances of the death of a man with learning disabilities has been highlighted after a split catheter was left in him – despite the risk of infection
yourthurrock.com
Inquest highlights death of man with learning disabilities - Your Thurrock
THE circumstances of the death of a man with learning disabilities has been highlighted after a split catheter was left in him – despite the risk of infection reports the Local Democracy Reporter. Tho...
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George Julian @georgejulian.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
David Lodge's inquest finished on Friday, coroner found he died from natural causes contributed to by neglect at Hull Royal Infirmary. His family statement www.georgejulian.co.uk/2024/12/23/d... "David was a person, first and foremost, but that was forgotten by those treating him" #OpenJustice
georgejulian.co.uk
georgejulian.co.uk » David’s Inquest: Family Statement
David overcame a lifetime of challenges, not least the attitudes of professionals in health and social care who did not understand that, just because a person cannot speak words, it doesn’t mean they can’t think and feel. David was the bravest brother, son and uncle, but what he endured in his final days is unimaginable. […]
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Clare McGrath @chmacg.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
I love that fabric. 😍 I have a pile of joggers to substantially shorten for my son and I am now tempted to try something similar as I'm having to alter seams and fiddle with the ribbing anyway.
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