Dear Santa/everyone...

A Time to Quit People living with severe mental illness have a 15-20 year shorter life expectancy than the general population, are three times as likely to smoke, and are at a far higher risk of physical illnesses…

People with mental health conditions are 2–3× more likely to smoke, contributing to up to a 20-year gap in life expectancy (@nejm.org).

Our #Report A Time to Quit shows how compassionate, evidence-based care and support in #MentalHealth settings can save lives: amhp.org.uk/a-time-to-qu...

Dark blue background with snowflakes. In the middle there is a large white bauble shape. The number on the bauble in large orange letters is 200. Beneath is the NDTi web address ndti.org.uk

Over 200 people contributed to our engagement work exploring the possibilities of creating a new, representative membership body for independent advocacy.
www.ndti.org.uk/resource/a-n...

#12DaysOfImpact #AdvocacyWorks #SelfAdvocacyWorks

a group of people smiling at the camera

Last week we were at the Care Show in Birmingham talking about our digital transformation and Individual Service Fund work.

Something needs to change and we're happy to lead the way.

Providers Unite – Backbone of Care Day of Action Registration Care Can’t Wait – Walk with Us in Liverpool This September, during the Labour Party Conference, we will gather to demand urgent reform to the UK’s care system. Date: Monday 29 September 2025 Time: 11....

The social care sector is the backbone of our communities, and together, we’re standing strong.
Join the Backbone of Care Walk on 29th Sept to show your support
shorturl.at/94i7x
#BackboneOfCare #ProvidersUnite #SocialCare@providersunite.bsky.social

Orange stars in the background and an open letter. Words read: "Our wish is to be part of a social care sector that is recognised and rewarded for the difference we make in people's lives every day. Best wishes, KeyRing."

#SocialCare providers help people live independently and stay well, but their contribution is too often undervalued.

Our member @keyringliving.bsky.social wishes for a sector that’s truly recognised.

#JoinUs as we champion service providers and promote positive change: amhp.org.uk/membership/

Digital Inclusion Action Plan: First Steps

#DigitalInclusion is a key focus of our work and it is great to share the government's paper that outlines their commitment. We might even get a cheeky mention alongside @abilitynet and BT
www.gov.uk/government/p...

ADASS Spring Survey 2025 - ADASS Our annual survey of Directors of Adult Social Services, essential reading for anyone interested in the challenges facing adult social care and implications for the NHS.

"The ability of councils to play a full part in delivering on the Government’s three shifts- hospital to community, treatment to prevention and analogue to digital- is being compromised as a result of ...challenges."
www.adass.org.uk/documents/ad...

Words read: "Don't miss the second edition of Lived and Leading."

🗞️ Out later today: the 2nd edition of #LivedAndLeading!

Our bulletin is for people with lived or living experience of mental ill-health and carers. It’s full of ways to share your voice, connect, and help shape change.

📬 Subscribe at:
amhp.us15.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...

#MentalHealth

This is why #digital is such an important part of building skills and connection in a modern world.
33% of those offline say it’s difficult to use council and gov services
31% of UK adults don’t access health services online
29% of those offline find it difficult to engage with financial services

We're a small team with a big plan. Being part of the Association helps us to amplify our voice and envisage a better future for people.
#SocialCare #MentalHealth

Three of the KeyRing team down in Southwark

Spent some time meeting new folk down in Southwark at the Southwark Resource Centre.

A Commission for change: SCIE's vision for the Casey Commission | Kathryn Smith SCIE blog SCIE outlines a bold vision for transforming adult social care through the Casey Commission.

“The Casey Commission must be different. It must be bold where others have been cautious, inclusive where others have excluded, and rooted in evidence and experience from the outset.”

Read the latest thought piece from Kathryn Smith, CEO of SCIE, here - www.scie.org.uk/a-commission...

Information about Saturday courses with Southwark Adult Learning; an adult student next to a list of courses

Want to get creative or learn a new skill?

Saturday short courses with Southwark Adult Learning Service at Thomas Calton Centre start 14 June

Enrol today www.southwark.gov.uk/schools-and-...

The Southwark Older People’s (Age-Friendly) Housing Strategy 2025-2035 - we want to hear your views. Illustrated with a smiling older person wearing a lilac coloured bucket hat

The Southwark Older People’s (Age-Friendly) Housing Strategy 2025-2035 aims to ensure older people have access to appropriate, affordable housing that enables them to live independently in their communities

We'd like to hear your thoughts and views

engage.southwark.gov.uk/en-GB/folder...

Get me to hospital - SCIE When and how to use the Mental Capacity Act to convey a person to hospital for physical health treatment. Download PDF.

📢It's here - Get Me To Hospital

www.scie.org.uk/mca/practice...

A guide for people, families and practitioners when supporting someone to go to hospital who is deemed as unable to make the decision and is refusing.

Co-produced with The Stop People Dying Too Young Group.

Share away.

#NHS #MCA

Southwark Disability Hub with logo of people. Text says get involved

Psst, we've got something new coming up in Southwark. Alongside @lb-southwark.bsky.social we launch the Southwark Disability Hub on 9th June.
Want to get involved in shaping this support or have opportunities you want to share, then drop us a comment. We'd love to connect.

In the background is a map of the world with the SDS Network logo and the KeyRing logo in the foreground, advertising the date of the next meeting of the network.

Join the next global meet up of the #SelfDirectedSupport Network hosted by @keyringliving.bsky.social‬ — our focus will be inspiring participants to uphold the rights that are key to self-directed support

⏰ Thursday 19 June
👉 Reserve a spot: buff.ly/ParXvsg

#Inclusion #SupportServices

Cream background with an orange speech bubble. Words read: "I find it really difficult to walk into somewhere and say hi. I have found whatsapp groups and facebook forums where we share a joint love of cinema. This helps me push myself and try new things - Alex."

Cream background with an orange speech bubble. Words read: "I moved to supported living. I have my freedom there. I can do what I want. There are lots of things that I can do and I choose the ones that are right for me. We are having a BBQ to celebrate the sunshine - Levi."

Cream background with an orange speech bubble. Words read: "I like helping other people. I have a few people I call regularly to see if they're alright - Tracy."

What is community? 🤝

When @keyringliving.bsky.social staff talked with Members about #Community and #MentalHealth, they thought about it in the widest sense of the word.

Learn about the wonderful work our member Keyring does to support people in England and Wales: www.keyring.org/who-we-are

#MHAW

yes! This is what we should be aiming for in recruitment ads.
Adverts for the people not the role.

Why inclusion matters - NDTi

This week Learning Disability England is talking about loving relationships for #goodlives ❤️

Professor Judith Sixsmith, from IncludeAge, has spoken to @ndtihello.bsky.social about the value of older LGBT+ people and older people with learning disabilities in communities: tinyurl.com/4r5kzuee

Does measuring outcomes get in the way of real life?

At the recent Self Directed Support global meet up we talked about outcomes and impact.
We had some challenging discussions around how meaningful and realistic measurement is.
Does outcome measurement get in the way of impactful support?
#outcome #ordinary #socialcare

We're thinking about language again. The words we say affect the way people see us.
See TLAP's new language hub for some human and inclusive ways of speaking and thinking.
#LanguageMatters

@ldwales.bsky.social thanks for the follow. Great to connect with you on here.

Reflections on the I Open My Front Door, Do you? campaign from @tricianicoll.bsky.social - read here ⬇️

www.gloriouslyordinarylives.co.uk/gloriously-o...

Great summary of a very busy period.

At our recent Member Voice meet up we talked about words that we use in social care.
One of the words that we didn't like was 'assessment'. In KeyRing we use that word a lot. But people said it felt a bit one sided.
Time for a rethink.

Copy of the KR news front page

The latest KeyRing News is out!
This edition has an award winner, a panto star and Elvis!
Download a copy or listen to the audio version: bit.ly/41zJLzA

"Citizenship means being free, different and equal - we have the rights to do what we want to do and discover what's out there" - Wendy Perez is summing up what a good life really means at the Learning Disability England Conference 2025

#ActionTowardsGoodLives