Over the past year a succession of high-profile reports about the future of social care, including by the House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee, the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, have recognised the crucial importance of taking action to shift public attitudes towards social care and those of us who draw on it to live our lives.
Doing so has been at the heart of the #SocialCareFuture movement since we emerged in 2018. From the very beginning, we recognised that public discourse and attitudes to social care militated against us realising our vision. Born of frustration, but powered by hope, we have charted the development of our work to change the public narrative on social care on the pages of CMM since.
Re-writing the story
The research we conducted helped us to develop our story and the language of the campaign. Our story has been widely adopted by councils, providers, campaigning charities, parliamentary committees, political parties, and by Government. The headline of our story, of a future where everyone is able to ‘live in the place we call home, with the people and things that we love, in communities where we look out for one another’ has become a de facto ‘North Star’ for social care reform. The language we developed, such as the idea of social care being something that we ‘draw upon to live our lives’ has become commonplace.
Nevertheless, we continue to feel that public mindsets remain rooted in the outdated and unproductive thinking about social care that we identified back in 2019 and that without change, investment and reform will continue to elude us. That’s why in October 2023 we kickstarted the next phase of our movement for change and marked our fifth birthday with the launch of an animated short film, voiced by the TV star and activist Liz Carr.
It doesn’t have to be this way
The film, directed by multi-award-winning creative director Yoav Segal, translates our evidence-based public story of the future of social care into a colourful, upbeat mosaic of sounds and visuals. But it doesn’t shy away from the challenge. In the film, distributed via organic and paid social media, Carr, star of Silent Witness and Marvel’s Loki series, warns, ‘Without big changes to the way we think about social care, we and the people we care about face losing control of our lives and contact with the people and things that make our lives worthwhile’ before adding ‘it doesn’t have to be this way’. The film has already been viewed and shared tens of thousands of times on social media, including X, Facebook, and Instagram.
Narrating the film was deeply personal for Carr. As she tweeted after it was launched, ‘worth saying that without social care, I would not be able to do the things I do, everything from being on TV to going for a wee.’ We can add to that list recording the narration of our animation, which is what made Liz’s involvement so perfect.
Potential for change
Social care isn’t just under-resourced, it’s also under-imagined. As Anna Sevewright, one of my co-conveners of #SocialCareFuture, who draws on support from personal assistants to live her life has said, ‘As a movement for change, we believe progress depends on shifting how the public thinks and feels about social care and on building stronger support for investment and reform. Our new film is based on extensive public audience research, which found that after exposure to these messages, the public saw social care as more relevant to themselves and their families, as more valuable to the wider community, felt more optimistic about the potential for change and accorded it greater priority for investment.’
Support for the initiative has come from other influential sources too. Dr Anna Dixon, who chaired the Archbishops Commission on Reimagining Care, said, ‘Our commission concluded that without a shift in public attitudes both to care and to those who draw on care or support to live our lives, then much needed investment and reform will continue to elude us. I’m pleased to see #SocialCareFuture lead the way in striving to positively shift how the wider public imagines and feels about social care and its importance to everyone in society.’
Alongside the animated film, we’ve developed and launched a new brand and movement website, which aims to showcase creative ideas, offer resources, and provide a place for people to share and to connect.
How can everyone help to change the story of social care?
1. It’s about people
Don’t talk about the ‘social care sector’ as the focus of investment and instead talk about ‘our wellbeing’ and that of ‘people, families and communities.’ Don’t talk about people drawing on support as a different class. Learn to use ‘we, us, our.’
2. It’s about living good lives
Don’t talk about ‘social care’ (few understand the term). Talk about ‘support to live a great life’ (or support to live in the place we call home, with the people and things we love, doing what matters to us).
3. It’s an opportunity
Don’t talk about ‘crisis’ and impending doom. Talk about the opportunity to improve the lives of people, families and communities, to create good jobs for the future and the infrastructure we all need to get on with our lives.
4. It’s about growing local ecosystems of support
Don’t talk about ‘fixing’ the ‘social care system.’ Talk about growing the local ecosystems of support and relationships that permit us all to stay safe, well and to flourish throughout our lives.
5. It’s of increasing value and importance
Don’t talk about social care as an ‘escalating cost’ or emphasise growing numbers seeking support with metaphors such as a ‘demographic timebomb.’ Centre instead on its growing value and importance to us all. Tell stories of people drawing on social care that bring this to life. More money is needed, but it must be recognised as a means to ends we all have reason to value. Money should not be ‘the story’.
These five easy reframes will help to positively change the way the public thinks and feels about social care.
It’s in our hands
This is the opening salvo in a long-term campaign to build public engagement and support for a brighter social care future. Learning from other movements for change, we’ll continue to try to change the public story of social care, alongside action to grow the power and influence of those of us who draw on support to live our lives, and our allies, and to convene different actors to make change together.
Another future is possible for social care. The task of growing it is in our hands. Please join us. For more information, visit socialcarefuture.org.uk/do-your-bit