1. So distressing to read of care experienced people, most young but some not so young, struggling with loneliness, isolation, poverty, & more during #Covid19uk. This curse is causing so much pain to so many people with too much pain already>

2. "Careleavers". I hate that term. It labels & defines usually younger adults by their status in the care system so their "need" can be identified & rationed in terms of statutory responsibility tied to age. That need somehow is required to end with the funding at 18, 21 or 25>

3. Care experience doesn't end at 18, 21 or 25. Its impact is individual not age related. Extending care to 21 etc might help a small % temporarily, or delay the onset of poverty, but will only scratch the surface of the ongoing impact of care, if it make any difference at all>

4. We must redefine what "care" is, what we expect of it. Is it to fulfil a statutory responsibility to kids defined by age, then chucked out to sink or swim with only charities to prevent the most needy from tragedy? Not enough & tragedy finds too many. So many of us been there>

5. We must open our eyes to the reality of the care experience. This will challenge existing thinking & need massive changes to how care is provided, where & by whom. It will mean far greater working in communities, far greater networking, more emphasis on real relationships, >

6. The real "experts" in the care experience are those who are living it. Those of all ages we see now coping with #Covid19uk, unsupported because they don't fit an age category, or they are not longer entitled to a ration of the care system cake. Their need hasn't gone away >

7. There are no expert groups in Westminster planning how to support these care experienced folk. No "tsars" or ministers speaking for them. No lobby groups vying for them secretly or otherwise at the DfE. They don't attract funds, they are invisible. They are care experienced>

8. Everyday during #Covid19UK we hear about these care experienced folk struggling. They're not feckless or undeserving, just care experienced people spewed out of the sausage machine & deemed out of care, no longer needy. But needy too many continue to be.

9. @Careexpconf a year ago identified these issues clearly, but gov't, DfE & the care industry didn't hear, the silos stayed strong, & nothing has changed. Instead, debates about unregulated versus registered care, not ongoing individualised loving care. Who's arguing for that? >

10. When this is over, IF rather than when we get a truly independent care review, one that genuinely engages care experienced people directly, not via charities, lobby groups, or gov't selected individuals or focus groups, can we finally look critically at the care experience?

11. Let's finally look at what the care experience IS. When we see that clearly let's look closely at how to support it. It will be challenging, stressful, hard. But it will transform lives & hopefully address loneliness, isolation & invisibility when the care clock stops ticking