Kirsty Grainger
@kirstygrainger.bsky.social
By day: enabler of research & cheerleader of people. By night: sweary embroidery, speedcubing, books, parkrun. University of Bath (ex-UKRI). She/her
I'm really hoping that you went to bed.
November 27, 2025 at 7:03 AM
I'm really hoping that you went to bed.
sorry to say that this reply made me laugh out loud in recognition and despair.
November 25, 2025 at 1:02 PM
sorry to say that this reply made me laugh out loud in recognition and despair.
Going to recommend a waterproof MP3 player for swimming as mini-volcanologist likely around five years from getting a phone which will make whatever you buy redundant. At which point you then own a useful underwater MP3 player for aqua based activities!
November 24, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Going to recommend a waterproof MP3 player for swimming as mini-volcanologist likely around five years from getting a phone which will make whatever you buy redundant. At which point you then own a useful underwater MP3 player for aqua based activities!
thanks Claire. Yes, it's both awful and avoidable. Sadly no short-term fixes as we head into the holidays as there are very limited support structures in place to be able to deliver anything meaningful. Spreading the word about the independent visitor volunteer route does helps. Thank you 👍
November 24, 2025 at 6:52 PM
thanks Claire. Yes, it's both awful and avoidable. Sadly no short-term fixes as we head into the holidays as there are very limited support structures in place to be able to deliver anything meaningful. Spreading the word about the independent visitor volunteer route does helps. Thank you 👍
etc... etc... etc.... imagine a child you love being treated like that. And remember the context that every young person in the care system will have suffered trauma of some kind. These reports don't hit hard enough. What is happening is just awful.
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
etc... etc... etc.... imagine a child you love being treated like that. And remember the context that every young person in the care system will have suffered trauma of some kind. These reports don't hit hard enough. What is happening is just awful.
Having the police turn up on a regular basis to your home (placement) as another of the young people regularly threatens violence to themselves and the placement workers 16/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Having the police turn up on a regular basis to your home (placement) as another of the young people regularly threatens violence to themselves and the placement workers 16/n
Being taken into A&E and admitted with a life threatening virus and not one person coming to visit you 15/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Being taken into A&E and admitted with a life threatening virus and not one person coming to visit you 15/n
Not having all your childhood things for you as they've been put into storage so you can't access them as there was no space for everything at your current 'placement' 14/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Not having all your childhood things for you as they've been put into storage so you can't access them as there was no space for everything at your current 'placement' 14/n
Calling a 'placement' your home with no home comforts. Think of the worst student accommodation from the 1990s. Souless, nothing warm or personalised, often damaged walls/floors etc.. etc.. 13/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Calling a 'placement' your home with no home comforts. Think of the worst student accommodation from the 1990s. Souless, nothing warm or personalised, often damaged walls/floors etc.. etc.. 13/n
Being placed for a short period in a hotel on your own because you have to leave your current placement and there are no placements immediately available 12/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Being placed for a short period in a hotel on your own because you have to leave your current placement and there are no placements immediately available 12/n
Not knowing the other children/young people in your 'placement' and being frightened of many of them as they are older or have complex needs that can result in significant aggression. Being too scared to leave your room 11/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Not knowing the other children/young people in your 'placement' and being frightened of many of them as they are older or have complex needs that can result in significant aggression. Being too scared to leave your room 11/n
Those same adults changing on a frequent basis as the turnover of staff is really high. Having no consistent adult in your life that you see more than once every few weeks 10/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Those same adults changing on a frequent basis as the turnover of staff is really high. Having no consistent adult in your life that you see more than once every few weeks 10/n
The only adults that you interact with being paid minimum wage and frequently being only a few years older than you with very limited life experience to be able share with you or use to support you 9/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
The only adults that you interact with being paid minimum wage and frequently being only a few years older than you with very limited life experience to be able share with you or use to support you 9/n
Spending hours at home scrolling on social media on your bed as there is nothing else to do, no after school activities, no clubs, no communal telly watching, no adult there to talk to. No one to love you enough to get you off your phone and go to bed. 8/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Spending hours at home scrolling on social media on your bed as there is nothing else to do, no after school activities, no clubs, no communal telly watching, no adult there to talk to. No one to love you enough to get you off your phone and go to bed. 8/n
Being left on your own on Christmas day with no hot meal because you don't know how to engage with any offer of company that day or that it's not offered to you 7/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Being left on your own on Christmas day with no hot meal because you don't know how to engage with any offer of company that day or that it's not offered to you 7/n
Never having anyone make a home-cooked meal for you and 'surviving' on quick processed food that you buy that day as house-mates steal food and you don't actually know how to cook 6/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Never having anyone make a home-cooked meal for you and 'surviving' on quick processed food that you buy that day as house-mates steal food and you don't actually know how to cook 6/n
Being in a room surrounded by rubbish and leftover food and discarded intimate products for months with no adult to encourage you to prioritise looking after your space 5/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Being in a room surrounded by rubbish and leftover food and discarded intimate products for months with no adult to encourage you to prioritise looking after your space 5/n
Coming home from college to an empty house with no-one to ask you how your day was immediately or at any point in the evening 4/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Coming home from college to an empty house with no-one to ask you how your day was immediately or at any point in the evening 4/n
Moving to 4 different placements in 4 different towns in a single year. 3/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Moving to 4 different placements in 4 different towns in a single year. 3/n
Imagine a young person aged 16, 17 or 18 that you personally know. Or remember what you were really like at that age. I have two children in that bracket so it hits hard. Now imagine them experiencing any of the following (and remember all of the following could apply to a single child). 2/n
November 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Imagine a young person aged 16, 17 or 18 that you personally know. Or remember what you were really like at that age. I have two children in that bracket so it hits hard. Now imagine them experiencing any of the following (and remember all of the following could apply to a single child). 2/n