What if everything you thought you knew about care was built on the wrong foundations?

Six leaders who've spent their lives shaping the sector return to ask the uncomfortable questions, from a healthcare divide that hasn't made sense since the 1940s, to care workers still begging for a seat at the table, to a system that trains people to use a hoist but not to support someone living with dementia. The structures are broken. The blueprint needs rewriting. And the people to do it are in this room.

Professor David Sheard delivers an emotional intelligence masterclass that challenges everything we think we know about dementia care. From painful moments that shape us to the future skills every practitioner will need, this episode invites listeners into a powerful reimagining of care rooted in truth, vulnerability, and human connection.

References

file:///C:/Users/sadie/Downloads/Wilson_Wynne_Sheard_Sept26.pdf

Series 4 of Continuing the Conversation arrives at a pivotal moment for the care sector. As the Casey Commission brings national attention to what must change, this quad conversation goes deeper into what we must learn if we want people to thrive at home, not just survive.

Four disruptors. Four perspectives. One future of care. If people listen really listen they will hear the blueprint.

In this landmark episode, Sadie is re-joined by four familiar voices from earlier series each returning to push the conversation further and offer their perspective on the future of care:

John Seddon

Systems thinker and founder of Vanguard, known for challenging traditional service design and exposing the systemic failures that hold care back.

David Sheard

Professor of Emotional Intelligence in Care, internationally recognised for championing feelings‑based care and transforming dementia support cultures.

David Wilson‑Wynn

Entrepreneur and innovator in home‑based care solutions, bringing a future‑focused lens on autonomy, technology, and modern care delivery.

Tim Dallinger

Trainer, educator, and standards specialist, dedicated to raising the bar for frontline practice and equipping carers with the skills the future demands.

Together, they return to explore what the next era of care must look like — not in theory, but in practice, in homes, and in real lives.

Released: 4 October 2026 aligned with a national government moment of scrutiny, reflection, and change.

References:

http://www.beyondcommandandcontrol.com/

https://emotional-intelligence.care/being-me/

https://www.innovare.care/

https://www.socialcareconsultants.co.uk/about-us.html

https://www.continuingcarewithsadie.co.uk/

What if the future of care isn’t a bigger system, but a more human one?

Maria Tomlinson, Jenni Palmer, Nikki Brinkworth and Sadie reveal why independent, relationship-led care is becoming the model to watch and why the people already doing the work are demanding to be seen as professionals, not after thoughts.

This opening episode of Series 4 brings together four voices from the independent care landscape for a frank, hopeful conversation about what care could look like if time, dignity and connection were treated as essentials, not luxuries. From self-employed carers and micro-providers to the communities they serve, the discussion explores what isn’t working, what is, and what needs to change.

You’ll hear:

• Why rigid, task-led care can miss the needs of older people and families
• How self-employed carers can provide personalised, proactive support
• Why Maria makes the case for a third model of care beyond agencies and care homes
• What Nikki believes is needed to professionalise and unify independent care
• How Jenni sees families struggling with confusing assessments and inconsistent processes
• Why Sadie believes commissioning, community partnerships and local knowledge could help transform care

Maria, founder of the Professional Carers Network, shares her vision for independent care workers to be recognised as professionals in their own right. Jenni brings more than 12 years of experience as a self-employed carer and PCN lead for Devon, including insight into the paperwork, delays and gaps families face. Nikki, with over 30 years in care and a Level 7 qualification in health and social care, calls for clearer pathways and greater recognition. Sadie, founder of Continuing the Care with Sadie and PCN lead for Gloucestershire, describes a future built on community over competition, connection over compliance and presence over perfection.

If you care about the future of social care, the value of carers or what person-centred support looks like in practice, this conversation is for you especially if you’re an independent carer, micro-provider, family member navigating care or someone who wants to see a more human approach to the sector.

This is a powerful start to Series 4 and a call to imagine care not just as it is, but as it could be: more accessible, more connected and rooted in genuine human relationships.

Important Links:

PCN (Professional Carers Network):

www.skool.com/procarernetwork

Or follow us on social media: https://www.professionalcarer.com/ https://www.facebook.com/professionalcarersnetwork https://www.tiktok.com/@maria_pcn https://www.youtube.com/@professionalcarersnetwork https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-tomlinson/ https://www.instagram.com/professionalcarersnetwork

Facebook Pages:Wiltshire/Niki:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1359955395273136/

Devon/Jenni:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/devonselfemployedcarerssupport/

Gloucestershire/Sadie:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/685576234290928/

https://substack.com/@sadieravening

Independent personal assistants and carers are being asked to do more than ever, and most of it happens behind the scenes. Sadie is finally pulling back the curtain on a new October project built to bring clarity, confidence, and community to self-employed care workers who are tired of figuring it all out alone.

This episode introduces The A to Z of Being a Self-Employed Personal Assistant - a Substack project that breaks the role down into 26 letters, from accountability, boundaries, contracts, and dementia care to money, notes, professionalism, sustainability, and zero tolerance for disrespect.

Sadie also explains the crucial difference between the paid work clients see and the unpaid work that quietly fuels the job: admin, planning, emotional labour, development, and support that can easily lead to burnout if it is not recognised. You’ll discover:

• why boundaries are not optional, they are the backbone of sustainable independent care
• how contracts, legislation, HMRC, DBS, and safeguarding protect both you and your clients
• what good care actually looks like when professionalism, quality, and presence matter more than perfection
• how to separate paid tasks from unpaid labour so your business stays viable
• why working alone does not have to mean working without support, structure, or community

Sadie also shares what subscribers will get for £5 a month or £50 a year, including practical guidance, templates, scripts, pricing support, dementia communication tools, and lived-experience insight designed to help personal assistants work more confidently and sustainably. Some letters will be free, others paid, but the aim is the same - to make independent care clearer, safer, and more honest.

If you’re already working independently, thinking about becoming a personal assistant, or trying to build a care practice that protects your wellbeing as well as your clients’, this episode gives you a compelling first look at a project built from 20+ years of experience in the field. Essential listening if you want to understand the real landscape of self-employed care and the support that should have existed all along.

Important Links:

https://substack.com/@sadieraveninghttps://www.continuingcarewithsadie.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/groups/685576234290928/

What if dementia care could feel radically different? In this conversation, David Sheard reveals the emotional signals, micro‑behaviours, and culture shifts that transform care from task‑based to truly human. If you want to understand what “feeling‑based care” actually looks like in practice, this episode will change how you see the sector.

GET READY....In this conversation, Sadie speaks with Neil Crowther, an independent strategist and advocate in the field of social care. They explore the importance of a rights-based approach to care, emphasizing the need to start with what matters to individuals. Neil discusses the cultural conditions that support dignity and autonomy, the role of leadership in promoting rights-based practices, and the significance of meaningful relationships in care.

He highlights the need for a shift in narrative around social care to focus on people rather than systems, advocating for community-based care and the importance of language in shaping power dynamics. In this conversation, Neil Crowther discusses the complexities of dementia care, emphasizing the importance of understanding individual experiences and the role of emotional intelligence in caregiving. He highlights the Shared Lives model as a transformative approach to support, focusing on relationships and autonomy.

The discussion also delves into the significance of power dynamics in care relationships and the need for effective leadership and system design to promote rights-based care. In this conversation, Sadie and Neil Crowther explore the future of social care, emphasizing the need for cultural and structural shifts. They discuss the importance of measuring wellbeing rather than throughput, the potential for innovation in care systems, and the moral imperative of prevention.

Neil shares insights on the pockets of hope within the sector and the necessity of human-centred care, concluding with personal reflections on his journey and the importance of community support.

References:

Social Care Future www.socialcarefuture.org.uk

Gloriously ordinary lives https://www.gloriouslyordinarylives.co.uk/

Be Human https://be-human.org.uk/

Live More https://socialworkwithadults.blog.gov.uk/2026/04/08/live-more-supporting-people-living-with-dementia-to-stay-active-connected-and-well-through-shared-lives/

In this episode, Sadie and Gina Awad dive deep into the emotional landscape of dementia care, where compassion meets culture, and leadership shapes everything. They explore the barriers that silence families, the everyday interactions that build trust, and the systems that must evolve to protect autonomy.

This conversation is rich with advocacy, emotional intelligence, and the raw honesty of lived experience. Gina opens up about vulnerability, continuity, and the inspiration behind her new book When Time Aligns. It’s bold, heartfelt, and a call to reimagine the future of care.Resources

https://www.tide.uk.net/gina-awads-united/

https://amzn.eu/d/03PLcR7F