Alex Fox

A striking message from @adass.bsky.social East Midlands work on young people as they reach adulthood: when services don’t join up, families say “we carry the system”. Families carry knowledge, cost, risk, and the workload of joining services up.
How can we acknowledge & support that role?

Some (more) personal news: this time it's thankfully not health-related! I'm excited to be joining the Community Catalysts team in mid-March as their new chief executive. I wasn't looking ... Some (more) personal news: this time it's thankfully not health-related! I'm excited to be joining the Community Catalysts team in mid-March as their new chief executive. I wasn't looking for a new ro...

www.linkedin.com/posts/alexfo...

Alex Fox OBE announced as new CEO of Community Catalysts | Community Catalysts Alex Fox OBE will take up the role of CEO at Community Catalysts on 16 March 2026. Alex is an experienced leader and innovator.

Our Chair, Paul Morton and the Community Catalysts team are delighted to announce that @alexfoxshared.bsky.social will take up the role of CEO at Community Catalysts on 16 March. We're excited to welcome Alex onboard to lead us through our next phase www.communitycatalysts.co.uk/2026/01/14/a...

Unlocking the power of Direct Payments for the global majority
📅 27 Jan

Explore how Direct Payments can better support people who have been racialised as ethnic minorities through culturally appropriate, strengths-based approaches rooted in real experience: buff.ly/HpFV7aZ

What Is Neighbourhood Health? | The King's Fund The government has put a 'neighbourhood health service' at the heart of its vision for the NHS – but what does that actually mean for staff and patients? And how might it be implemented in different c...

Neighbourhood health puts care closer to home, but what does it really mean in practice? 🤔 Read our new 15-min explainer: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/long-reads/what-is-neighbourhood-health?utm_term=thekingsfund&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social

Why we need to move beyond strengths-based practice

Strengths-based practice is needed, and the shift towards it has been significant: there can’t be many councils or social care provider organisations that don’t at least claim their approach is strengths-based. But that shift hasn’t resulted in…

Why strengths-based practice isn't working in social care | Alex Fox OBE posted on the topic | LinkedIn Why isn't strengths-based practice working? Strengths-based practice is needed, but that shift hasn’t resulted in social care systems which are consistently enabling greater independence and becoming ...

Why aren’t strengths-based approaches working?
www.linkedin.com/posts/alexfo...

Strengths-based approaches often miss the mark. Systems focus too much on what people already do, not what they could achieve.

@alexfoxshared.bsky.social explores the cultural shift needed to enable independence & build sustainable support systems. 👉 bit.ly/4nSInAo

Nottingham rolls out 'digital-enabled' Neighbourhood Health Service Nottingham City aims to "set a blueprint for digital-enabled neighbourhood health", says Alexis Farrow, programme director at Digital Notts.

"Key to the neighbourhood health service is the Notts Care Record, which launched in summer 2025, a shared care record that consolidates data from GPs, hospitals, mental health, community services, and social care"

#RealistEvaluation
@neilchadborn.bsky.social

www.digitalhealth.net/2025/09/nott...

Always looks like the #SocialCareFuture Gathering is being raided by the police, but I think the venue is just next to the police station…

The final group has been making recommendations on improving commissioning and finding areas which have moved away from rigid buying systems towards creative partnerships

The Plumbing and Wiring group is talking with Care Quality Commission about what good looks like for councils to support Direct Payment uptake and use to give people more choices

An overview of the practical problems and solutions uncovered by the Plumbing and Wiring work so far. Next up @martinwalkersds.bsky.social of @tlap.bsky.social is looking at how Direct Payment uptake can be improved and provide better alternatives in ways that people can manage.

Sessions starts with us gathering thoughts on a future approach to understanding what good looks like and measuring the outcomes of care and support. Loads of great ideas to add to our group’s initial recommendations (pictured)

At #socialcarefuture gathering Andy McCabe introduces the session on Fixing Adult Social Care’s plumbing and wiring

Every time I come to the social care future gathering at the friends meeting house in Manchester, I walked past this quote and can’t resist taking a picture of it

Some emotional contributions from people who draw on care and support, reminding us all of the importance, urgency and sometimes fear which changes in adult social care can bring. Including fears for changes in welfare benefit system and frustration with lack of mental health support

Casey Commission has ‘building a national conversation’ as key goal. We have to build public push for change to get politicians on board.

Ah thanks!

Radical suggestion to abolish commissioning and replace with support to individuals to use Direct Payments and their own money to purchase support + investment in community capacity from Karyn Kirkpatrick at @keyringliving.bsky.social

Call for national programme to test and demonstrate the early action interventions which are key to long term change in adult social care but not scaled and taken seriously enough, says @ewandking.bsky.social of @sharedlivesplus.bsky.social

There is a huge difference between individual invited into committee vs groups and networks of disabled and older people contributing to and leading decision-making discussions says @rickburgess.bsky.social of Greater Manchester Social Care Commission

Are person-centred thinking tools the missing link in creative support planning? 🧠

Join us on Tuesday 30 July to hear how a manager in Sheffield is helping her team explore these powerful tools to improve Direct Payments.

📅 Sign up: thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk/DirectPaymentEvents

Call for more formal positions in DHSC and Casey commission for disabled and older people from Rich Amos.
@coproisaac.bsky.social: stop seeing us as passive recipients & people you buy care for. We are the solution when we have the opportunity to lead.
Casey commission commits to coproduction.

President of @adass.bsky.social @jessmcp.bsky.social days: Good commissioning is gardening not buying. Sowing the seeds and growing all kinds of support.
Also: decision making including commissioning is a very white space which doesn’t reflect diverse communities. Needs to change.

At #socialcarefuture gathering there is call for radical commissioning reform.
@coproisaac.bsky.social says people can feel ‘sold to the lowest bidder’ for support. Says we can’t fixate on (real) lack of money when things like approach to coproduction and equality can be changed now

Salford’s Support and Action Women’s Network choir getting #SocialCareFuture gathering off to an uplifting musical start in Manchester. Anna Severwright sets out the vision for a good life and the practical focus of SCF’s work. At @impower.bsky.social we are supporting on meaningful outcomes

"We have to remember, it isn't a house, it's a home. And when we're making changes into people's homes, they have to feel empowered and in control." says Professor Vikki McCall, researcher at Stirling University.

"We have to remember, it isn't a house, it's a home. And when we're making changes into people's homes, they have to feel empowered and in control." says Professor Vikki McCall, researcher at @stir.ac.uk.

We don’t always hear enough from people with dementia. This is a fantastic reminder that the things that matter to us all are unifying.

I loved the emphasis on reciprocity. Of course we all want to feel recognised & have opportunities to be helpful.

@tlap.bsky.social @neilmcrowther.bsky.social