Isaac Samuels and Jacqui Darlington pause, reflect and celebrate the people behind social care, the ones who go above and beyond, not for praise or recognition, but because they care.
This blog is personal for us. Between us, we’ve been carers, campaigners, drawing on care and support, and leaders. We’ve lived the highs and lows of social care. We’ve seen what works and what breaks, and we’ve met the extraordinary people who hold it all together.
So, we want to use this space to say something simple but important:
Social care matters. And so do the people who make it happen.
Our stories
Isaac: I’ve been working in social care, housing and health for 25 years, but I started, as many of us do, on the receiving end of support. I live with long-term health conditions and know how much difference the right care, at the right time, can make. That’s why I do what I do: championing co-production, pushing for fairness, and helping people with lived experience shape the systems that serve them.
Jacqui: My journey began with family. I’ve cared for my Mum, my uncle, and now my own son with additional needs. I know how overwhelming it can feel and how easy it is to lose yourself in it. That’s why I started the Out of Hours Club Rutland; a space where adults with additional needs can meet up, go to the cinema, grab a bite to eat, laugh, make friends and feel free. Independent, but not alone. This also gives the carers time and space to either spend with the rest of the family, date nights or have time for themselves.
We’re different in our backgrounds, but our hearts beat the same: we believe everyone deserves to live a full, connected life, and no one should be left behind.
What is a Gloriously Ordinary Life?
It’s a powerful question, and one that speaks to the heart of what good care really means.
A gloriously ordinary life is having a job you enjoy.
It’s meeting mates for coffee.
It’s choosing what you want for dinner and cooking it, your way.
It’s walking the dog, buying your own milk, going to the theatre, or just deciding to stay home and rest.
It’s doing the everyday things that many take for granted, things that can feel like climbing a mountain when illness, disability or social barriers get in the way.
That’s what Personal Assistants and care workers help make possible.
They’re not just helping people wash or get dressed. They’re helping people live. Really live.
The power of kindness
Not long ago, Jacqui handed a bunch of daffodils to one of her PAs, Yasmin, after a particularly demanding couple of weeks. Just a little thank you.
Later that evening, Yasmin messaged her:
“I didn’t cry because of the flowers, I cried because I felt seen. Someone noticed the extra hours, the stress and the care behind the care. That moment reminded me why I do this.”
And that’s what kindness in care looks like. It doesn’t need to be big. It just needs to be real.
Let’s celebrate the small things
Care work is tough. The hours are long, the pay too often low, and the pressures are real. But ask anyone in this field why they stay, and you’ll hear stories full of heart:
- the moment someone goes out on their own for the first time
- the laugh shared on a walk to the shop
- the look on a person’s face when they realise they’ve got this.
This work is not about saving lives in dramatic ways. It’s about supporting gloriously ordinary lives every single day.
So here are a few simple ways to celebrate the people doing it:
- say thank you - like you mean it
- share stories that lift people up
- make room for learning and growth
- push for fairer pay and better conditions
- let people be heard - especially those receiving support.
This is for the whole workforce
To PAs, carers, support workers, team leaders, managers, unpaid carers and volunteers, you are the heartbeat of our communities.
You turn up when others step away. You hold space for people in their most vulnerable moments. You bring humour, strength, and heart.
To every employer, policymaker and commissioner: now is the time to listen, invest, and act. If we want social care to thrive, we have to value it properly.
Final thought
While Celebrating Social Care, don’t just tick a box. Tell a story. Say thank you. Celebrate someone doing quiet, brilliant work.
Because this is who we are - a community of people making sure others can live gloriously ordinary lives, even when the odds are stacked against them.
We’re proud to be part of this world. And even prouder to celebrate the people in it.