Luke Rodgers BEM

Lived Experience Leader | Director of Strategy for @TheCareLeaders | Storyteller & Speaker | Award Winning Social Entrepreneur ✌🏻

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

@TerryGalloway Inspired by Tope, who took his own life at Christmas which inspired this to happen. Give dignity to where this began, don’t forget those we have lost. You, more than anyone, should understand the importance of that.

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

The Tope Project created these Christmas dinners, not Lemn.

It’s not about Lemn’s ‘movement’, it’s a memoir to someone we lost.

Tope was a human who sadly took their own life because the loneliness they experienced at Christmas.

Remember and honour Tope.

[Terry Galloway @TerryGalloway]

You may have heard about the Christmas Dinners. We are the board of Gold from the Stone, our mission is that no care leaver is alone on Christmas Day. We met up today, to work on expanding to even more towns and cities. @lemnsissay you deserve to be the proudest man alive for creating this movement.

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

If you work with care experienced people, this is for you!

#WeCareWeek

📢 Sign up here → https://t.co/cnRfJ7MsnH

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

@andydsmith7 @TheCareLeaders Anytime! You’re doing exactly the same and it’s great to share this space with you.

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

@SonnetSmith @lawyerswhocare_ @SmashLifeUK1 @andydsmith7 @Ricflomusic @ccwild79 @CEPbarrister @JudithAMDenton @gemmacreamer Great to hang with you :)

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

Beyond the Story: Why I no longer share my care experience.

My first blog of a series that explore what it meant to share my care experience and why I choose to stop.

Read here 👇🏻

https://t.co/QAHOE0c1jj

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

@TerryGalloway I have indeed, just responded to your DM. Thank you 🙏🏻

[The Care Leaders @TheCareLeaders]

🎉 Win a Signed Copy of "Free Loaves on Fridays" by @RebekahPierre92 🎉

Join our LIVE session on using language for positive change in childrens social care!

➡️ 3 attendees get SIGNED books!

Register now: https://t.co/8osgzohaPY
#LivedExperienceLeader #SocialWork #FosterCare

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

@TerryGalloway Hi Terry, I’ve signed up to this but still not received any links. When will they be sent out?

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

Looking forward to reading this!

@RebekahPierre92 👏🏻

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

I’m very excited for this event!

[The Care Leaders @TheCareLeaders]

⚠️ Join us on April 25th for a transformative session with Rebekah Pierre, exploring the power of language in shaping the lives of children in care.

🎟Grab your ticket here: https://t.co/YRtjm8q4lH

#LivedExperience #CareExperience #SocialWork #FosterCare #CEP #SocialCare

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

@TerryGalloway This sounds great - when will the link for the event be sent around?

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

Well this is very VERY exciting!

[Rebekah Pierre @RebekahPierre92]

Two weeks till publication day.

Free Loaves on Fridays is the book I wish I saw on bookshelves when I was in care. And the book I wish my teachers, classmates & the general public read, too.

Help raise the voices of 100 children & adults from care here:

https://t.co/nOAzFOR9bC

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

@HoyleTime Likewise.

Anyway, I love rambling with you but have to go back to work.

Nice to see you the other day, my office is down Walmgate - would be lovely to catch up properly.

✌🏻

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

I’d like to respectfully challenge.

Manchester have already made Care Experience a Protected Characteristic. Their response to this was weak, with a nameless representative saying ‘they’d look into it’.

Surely if it was any other PC we’d take legal action & stop using them?

[Josh MacAlister MP @JoshMacAlister]

People ask why the experience of growing up in care should be a protected characteristic. Here’s one very good reason. https://t.co/XGeSdrXwD5

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

@HoyleTime Is that different to good corporate parenting?

You’ve worked in youth engagement in the past, there’s lots of work that happens to involve care experienced voices in decision making, commissioning and policy already.

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

@HoyleTime Again, the council elected themselves to act as if it was a protected characteristic - meaning to act as if there was a breach of the equalities act.

Our children deserve more than pinky promise politics, and the council should uphold their commitment.

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

@HoyleTime Chris, they volunteered to act as if it’s a protected characteristics. If they wanted to take action they would, we both know that.

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

@HoyleTime The council volunteered the act as if care experienced was a protected characteristic, when the housing provider discriminated against care experienced people, the council didn’t act in a way that equates to their commitment.

The rest feels like semantics.

[Luke Rodgers BEM @Luke_Rodgers]

@HoyleTime But, the council commission the Guinness Partnership and have a duty of care for the young people who live there.

The actions they take should reflect the seriousness of their commitment to protected characteristics otherwise why do it?