follow the Yellow Brick Road. #CareCouncil

The Saturday shopping and visit routine was given a new twist today - literally - as I did something to my back as I leaned down to a low shelf to pick up something and put it in the trolley. It was little more than a sensation but I knew that something had gone in the back.

Despite gel and painkillers as the day progressed I became more stooped as I adjusted my walking posture to seek to minimise discomfort.

Fortunately it was not bad enough to prevent me attending this quarter's care council - an enthusiastic group of care experienced young people who are working to make a difference to the care system.

Liz Brabender from CELCIS who is the lead support for the review and the review's chair - Fiona Duncan - was meeting the group to understand their priorities and how they might share the review and the discussions Minister have promised to have with 1,000 young people.

Neil Hunter and I had agreed that our planned slot ( on corporate parenting) could be better used on the review. But we still wished to catch up with the young people to maintain our links and show that we had not forgotten them.

It was great to meet up with them and new members of the Council. Some of the members previously known to me had shot up in the last three months. Ryan - who featured in my blip on 21 January https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2269631950287274618 - had especially grown tall.

Part of their morning task has been to set out their care journey and write on red bricks (cards) what the barriers had been. And where positives had been experienced- or they had a possible solution to a barrier – they were to write that on a yellow “brick”. Hence the yellow brick road.

I left them during their free time – see extra of Neil Hunter in frisbee mode and Chloe’s cup music routine. Over the rest of the weekend they will talk through their journeys and the yellow brick. Of which there are encouragingly many.