5/
And anyway, as care-experienced parents, do not always have access to the childcare or resources that our peers do. In bringing alongside my small sidekick, this was a testament to that lived reality.

4/
Fortunately the organisers were very supportive, keen to live their values of child centredness & inclusivity. The fact is, real social work is loud, messy & unpredictable. Children don’t wait for a convenient window to disclose. Nor do they choose a location of our choosing.

3/
So I took a risk. I decided to call the organisers a week in advance and present my dilemma; present online and risk blunting my message (and missing out on a rare opportunity to meet others in the field), or risk the baby wailing in real time. No mute button available!

2/
But given the theme was amplifying children’s voices in social care, it felt hypocritical to banish my own child from the building. How could I speak about dismantling adult-centric systems, whilst bowing down to the old “children should be seen and not heard” approach?

1/
My childcare fell through this week ahead of a keynote presentation. Initially I thought about joining virtually; I was concerned that my little one might cause too much disruption, and detract from my message.

Care experienced social worker ⁦@RebekahPierre92⁩ discusses the instability of her time in care, not being believed by practitioners and what she wished they had done differently

Delighted that the Education Committee listed to the evidence from young people supported by Barnardo’s and have joined our calls for a #NationalCareOffer. Care leavers face a confusing patchwork of entitlements when they leave care. Read more: https://brnw.ch/SCHOOLBILL