Letting go: grieving in the age of Ai.
In the aftermath of the Scottish Bereavement Charter Conference on the Future of Bereavement in Scotland – held a couple of days ago and which gathered a very thoughtful range […]
A change of seasons and realistic hope: social care at a critical point.
This past week has felt like a bit of a transition week. For those of us who are parents of school-age children most of us will have experienced either this […]
Storyholding and handing back the pen: A reflection on care, autonomy, and ethical technology.
A story is not a luxury. It is not an embellishment added once other needs have been met. A story is central. It is how we come to know who […]
Taking down a book at all ages: a reflection for Book Lovers Day
I’ve always been fascinated by reading and by books – yet they need not necessarily be one and the same. For at a very early age of life the idea […]
Courageous Leadership: Leading with conscience, curiosity and commitment
Not for the first time and I suspect not the last – I found myself standing in an airport bookshop a few weeks ago – looking at the array of […]
Establishing an Older Persons Budget Group (OPBG) : an extended thought piece.
Scotland is experiencing significant demographic change. By 2045, one in four Scots will be over the age of 65. This shift demands a fundamental rethink of how we plan, deliver, […]
The quiet art of listening.
Yesterday (July 18) was World Listening Day, which was established on the birthday of Raymond Murray Schafer, a Canadian composer and environmentalist who is seen as the founder of acoustic […]
Summer grieving: the harshness of the sun of loss
In Scotland, where summer is let’s be honest somewhat fleeting – a brief burst of light and warmth between long winters and now seemingly over by May – the summer […]
Holding hands with tomorrow: technology, care, and humanity.
The following is based on a talk which opened the inaugural Scottish Care, Care Tech Assembly held in Glasgow on 19th June 2025. I want to share a few personal […]
Renewing from the ground up: some observations and aspirations.
The last few weeks and indeed the month of June has seen a hive of activity in the world of policy and politics around health and social care. From the […]
‘The Song Remains’: Music, as an act of hope. A reflection for World Music Day.
Today (21st June) is World Music Day – a time when across the globe, communities gather to celebrate the universal language of melody, rhythm, and song. When radio stations take advantage of […]
Let’s create a national Men’s Health Strategy for Scotland.
Over the years I’ve written quite a few times about men’s health and some of the challenges that are faced in improving the health of the male population. I’m back on this […]
I’m holding it together – just – Scotland’s unpaid carers.
Next week the 9th to the 15th of June is the annual Carers,Week. This year the focus is all about ‘recognising our carers’ and a plea to acknowledge the invaluable […]
Dignity has no use by Date: the ongoing challenge of ageism in Scottish society
This extended blog is the substance of a speech given to the EVH conference on the 17th May. Thank you for being here. Thank you, too, for turning up to […]
“It’s not where you’re from, it’s where you’re at.” Migration and social care in Scotland.
I’m always sensitive about using my weekly blog and podcast to talk about issues which might be considered to be of a political nature. One in particular is almost guaranteed […]
“Crisis and new beginnings: the hope of homecare”
The following is based on a speech given at the Scottish Care Homecare Conference on the 16th May. Well since I picked the title of this brief talk, I’ve been […]
In celebration of International Nurses Day – the humanity of relational nursing in social care.
In a couple of days’ time on the 12th May we will mark International Nurses Day 2025, and once again people will be invited on the birthday of that inspirational […]
“Whose voice is heard?” The media and social care.
There are a lot of journalists in my extended family and indeed journalism and writing has always been very important within the wider family. At one time as much younger […]
Vaccinations save lives: its time to make the sell.
“It is more than just a jag for some of us it has meant a new lease of life.” Those were comments which I heard many years ago from someone […]