Sign in

Kerrie Portman

@kerrieportman.bsky.social
18 followers 43 following 68 posts

She/her Care Experienced campaigner 🏆MHP's 30 To Watch Politics 2022 🏆 Big Issue Top 100 Changemaker 2026

PostsRepliesMedia
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Absolutely buzzing to have received an email this morning, inviting me to join the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Lived Experience Forum!!
031
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
I was very delighted to receive a lovely reply from Cllr Luis Navarro, Vice-Chair of the Adults and Health Committee, this morning, stating he'll pass my email onto the relevant senior officers across Adults, Public Health, and Children’s Services to consider the matter
100
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Yesterday, I wrote to Cambridgeshire County Council's Coroner's office, and then the Adults and Health Committee, asking them to consider recording the #Care status, as far as possible, for all deaths they investigate.
110
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
#LeftToRot by Daniel Hewitt arrived in the post today! Looking forward to reading about the policy choices that led to the #HousingCrisis I've been reading quite a few political books so far this year
010
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Its great to see the government moving to protect victims of domestic abuse in social housing, but one issue is the increased risk in the interim of reporting an abuser before they're convicted. A lot of victims choose not to report for a range of reasons www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
New bill targets domestic abusers and overhauls right to buy in England
Social housing landlords to be able to evict perpetrators, while right-to-buy tenancy requirements to rise
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Happy #Pride month
020
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Last week, I wrote to all the Huntingdon Town Councillors I feel safe with, expressing my concerns about our #homeless community during the heat; thank you very much to everyone who has replied/escalated the matter!!
110
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
I hope whoever replaces Cllr Osborn in this by-election doesn't call #ChildrenInCare "evil" and actually understands and respects their role as one of our Corporate Parents whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/lo...
whocanivotefor.co.uk
Cambridgeshire local election: The 4 candidates in Roman Bank & Peckover
See all 4 candidates in the Cambridgeshire local election on 25 Jun 2026: Benedict Allen (Labour Party) Diane Priscilla Cutler (Liberal Democrats) ...
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Read The Story of #TracyBeaker today, which I'd picked up from my local Bernard's charity store. It obviously isn't my usual reading as its middle-grade, but it's such a classic book about children in #Care that I DID have to read it
010
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Disgusted to see Wakefield Council deciding to abolish their #CorporateParenting Committee in their first meeting of the new full council. What a horrible message to send to Wakefield #CareLeavers Voting at 47mins: t.co/GdLrL7h2o7 t.co/4E2sHfeDmz
100
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Last week, I met with senior staff from Hinchingbrooke Hospital, asking them to improve the experiences of #CareLeavers and those with #MentalIllness who visit the hospital. I'm so glad they seemed keen to listen to my experiences and work with me to improve the situation!
100
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
It was 5 years ago today that the book I co-wrote a chapter of with Emily Niner from Ambitious About #Autism was published! Read the full book here: policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/covid-19-and... Read my chapter here: bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/display/book...
policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk
COVID-19 and Co-production in Health and Social Care Research, Policy, and Practice
COVID-19 and Co-production in Health and Social Care Research, Policy, and Practice - Volume 2: Co-production Methods and Working Together at a Distance; The second in a two-volume set, this book expl...
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
"In the year to April 2026 there were 106 reported deaths of care leavers. In the 12 months before there were 91. Most of those who died were aged 16 to 21" The #CareSystem is broken, and must be fixed www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
When applying for jobs, I was repeatedly told that I didn't have enough work experience, but since leaving #Care at 18, I'd been experiencing #homelessness on and off This is just one challenge #CareLeavers face Watch the Full Council meeting from 6pm: www.youtube.com/live/vPWPA87...
youtube.com
Full Council - 6pm Thursday 21 May 2026
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
After emailing Cllr Charlotte Cane asking if she would introduce a guaranteed interview scheme for #CareExperienced people at East Cambs District Council, I am very excited to see it, including disabled people, being proposed at Thursday's Full Council meeting eastcambs.gov.uk/sites/defaul...
100
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
As part of my new campaign to improve the NHS for #CareLeavers I emailed Helen Morgan MP, as Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, and was absolutely thrilled to get an email from her office informing me she'd submitted two Written Questions to the Health Minister on my behalf!!
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
UCL recently published a podcast where myself and Chereece Bateson, another Care Experienced person, spoke about the importance of including #CareExperienced people in research about the #CareSystem We recorded it last year soundcloud.com/uclsound/thi...
soundcloud.com
Episode 1: This is me - 'Understanding our lives, our challenges'
Episode 1 - 'Understanding our lives, our challenges' - Creating caring research spaces for care-experienced people In this episode, Eva and Veena speak to two care-experienced guests, Chereece Bateso
010
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Speaking of barriers for #autistic people accessing healthcare, under the Accessible Information Standard, the NHS should arrange/provide an advocate for those who need it, alongside other activities. Read more below: www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/ac...
england.nhs.uk
NHS England » Accessible Information Standard – requirements (DAPB1605)
NHS England » Accessible Information Standard – requirements (DAPB1605)
010
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Was really fascinating to hear @elizabethmweir.bsky.social talk to us at Youthwatch last night about her research into the link between #autism and poorer health outcomes, including difficulty accessing medical care Here's a link to her research: scholar.google.co.uk/citations?hl...
scholar.google.co.uk
100
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
This is such a cool idea to support #homeless people! (Here's the link to the Whattsapp group, if anyone wants to join: chat.whatsapp.com/J1ZP8LkqFUv9...) www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
‘Group is a lifesaver’: strangers buy Wetherspoon’s meals for homeless people through app
WhatsApp group has bought tens of thousands of meals for people via Facebook page
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
So excited to see the #ChildrensWellbeingAndSchoolsAct2026 finally come into law, Part 1 of the Act improving rights for those in #Care and #CareLeavers 🥳 (Behind on the news due to being in hospital for most of the past month) legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/2...
legislation.gov.uk
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026
100
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
So excited to see the #RentersRightsAct coming into force today! One of the most exciting changes is the end of Section 21 'No Fault' evictions, which is a massive driver of homelessness Homes are the stable foundation for our lives, and it's about time the law gave more acknowledgment to that
011
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Additionally, 1 in 8 #ChildrenInCare and #CareLeavers aged 4-25+ reported they do not have a good friend. The same report noted the odds of having very high well-being were over two times higher for Care Leavers who had a good friend/were not lonely www.coram.org.uk/wp-content/u...
coram.org.uk
100
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
91% of #CareExperienced adults reported feeling lonely or isolated whilst in #Care as a child- 18% reporting feeling this "all the time" Loneliness leads to many issues, inc lower life expectancy. Supporting relationships for those in Care is vital media.actionforchildren.org.uk/documents/A_...
media.actionforchildren.org.uk
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
"We know that 64% of care leavers in Northern Ireland present as homeless within just a few years of leaving the system [...] Without targeted support, we are setting our most vulnerable up to fail." - Jim Shannon MP t.co/aS0146GWxQ
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
"In 2024-25 alone, 4,610 care leavers aged between 18 and 20 experienced homelessness. That represents a 54% increase over five years, with rates rising 2.5 times faster than among the general population" t.co/wLjOcuYiLk
100
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
I am glad to see the government looking into the deaths of #CareLeavers but I am worried this will delay help being implemented and take money away from that help. We know what the issues are www.gov.uk/government/n...
100
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
The Renters' Reform Coalition are hosting a webinar at 7pm tomorrow evening on how to help campaign for #RentersRights at the upcoming #LocalElections events.teams.microsoft.com/event/7b12d4...
events.teams.microsoft.com
Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams
Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams
100
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
The April sessions speaking to Children and Young People who've been in #Care in England are underway becomecharity.org.uk/about-us/new...
becomecharity.org.uk
Register your interest for 2026 APPG - Become
The APPG for Care-Experienced Children and Young People is launching a new inquiry to examine how does the care system protect and support children’s relationships.
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Ahead of the elections on May 7th, don't forget to register to vote before April 20th: www.gov.uk/register-to-... Registration for a postal vote closes on April 21st: www.gov.uk/apply-postal... Apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate by April 28th: www.gov.uk/apply-for-ph...
gov.uk
Register to vote
Register to vote to take part in elections in the UK. Includes how to get on the electoral register and how to update your address on the register.
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
“Being a ‘corporate parent’ means treating #CareLeavers as we would our own children. Anything less is not good enough.” - Dame Rachel de Souza inews.co.uk/news/politic...
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
“A 41 per cent ‘neet’ rate among #CareLeavers is not an outcome we get to quietly accept. It is a broken promise, written in data.” - Alan Milburn, former Health Secretary inews.co.uk/news/politic...
inews.co.uk
‘Broken promise’: Why these young people are three times more likely to be unemployed
"The system is not failing by accident, it is failing by design,” youth unemployment tsar tells The i Paper
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
The APPG for #CareExperienced Children and Young People has opened a new inquiry into relationships The inquiry is open from now until 19 June 2026 becomecharity.org.uk/get-involved...
becomecharity.org.uk
APPG Inquiry 2026 - Become
The APPG for Care-Experienced Children and Young People is launching a new inquiry to examine children’s relationships. Share your thoughts.
110
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
I'm very excited to see Ben Obese-Jecty MP and Hinchingbrooke Hospital responding well to mine and Lianne Simpson's email, outlining the shockingly poor state of #MentalHealth provision and hopefully using the opportunity of the rebuilding to improve this www.facebook.com/share/p/14YH...
facebook.com
Facebook
000
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Lovely to hear Shaun Davies MP reporting every #LookedAfterChild in Telford recieved an Easter Egg! When I was in a #ChildrensHome, a local group came and gave us a bunch of Easter eggs, and it meant so much to me I still remember it a decade later! www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=...
100
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Fascinating new randomised controlled trial by researchers at King's College London studying the impact of giving Care Leavers an unconditional one-off payment of £2,000 www.kcl.ac.uk/research/cas...
kcl.ac.uk
Cash transfers for care leavers: a randomised controlled trial | King's College London
Giving young people leaving care an unconditional cash lump sum improved their housing, wellbeing and health
100
Kerrie Portman @kerrieportman.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Trussell have a tool showing how many food parcels food banks in the Trussell community* gave out in the past year by postcode *not all food banks are part of the Trussell community, so these numbers may be higher campaign.trussell.org.uk/en/parcels-b...
campaign.trussell.org.uk
How many food parcels were provided to people facing hardship in your local area?
Put in your postcode to see how many parcels were given out in your local area.
110