Claire Agius
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claireagius.bsky.social
Claire Agius
@claireagius.bsky.social
Doctoral Researcher @manmetuni. Adoption. Developmental Psychology. Complex trauma. Child & Parent Mental Health #co-production #co-design #ebcd
Fellow @Cumberlandlodge. Trustee @TheBelayFoundation.org.uk @IRCTrauma.bsky.social
Reposted by Claire Agius
Pleasure to hear Baroness, Longfield, Baroness Lister, @jessasatomp.bsky.social and @tomhayesmp.bsky.social talking about the right to play at the launch of the @alliance4children.bsky.social report, Power to Play in the House of Lords today. Play is a crucial part of recovery from Childhood Trauma.
June 23, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Reposted by Claire Agius
The lovely Olly is running his first ever run - a massive 10k - this Sunday. And he's doing it on behalf of @TheBelayFoundation! How amazing is Olly?!

More about Olly, his very personal reasons for supporting Belay, his run this Sunday, and about Belay all here:

www.justgiving.com/page/olly-cr...
Olly's first ever run - for The Belay Foundation
Help Alison Crowther raise money to support The Belay Foundation
www.justgiving.com
May 7, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Reposted by Claire Agius
Interested in whether your child may be eligible for Disability Living Allowance?

There’s still time to join our free zoom session on #DLA this evening at 7.30 if you would like! (Future sessions also bookable at the same link)

More info here: calendly.com/training-the...
DLA Overview - Focus on Non-Physical Health Conditions - Belay Training
A free hour-long session on DLA, what it is, how to apply, and why it might just be relevant to your family:Are you parenting children with care experience, or perhaps with care needs related to neuro...
calendly.com
May 7, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Reposted by Claire Agius
Do you want to make a change for Children, Young People & Families across the UK? If so, then please do look to join the ALLIANCE 4 CHILDREN - info@alliance4children.org
February 22, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Reposted by Claire Agius
Great to see the contribution of our member
@anne-marieday.bsky.social alongside colleagues from MCYS and Metropolis at @manmetuni.bsky.social
to report that argues for a whole-child approach to childhood vulnerability: vulnerabilitypolicing.org.uk/news/new-rep...

#ChildrensFutures
New report warns thousands of vulnerable children at risk of criminal exploitation - Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre
A report by the Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre warns thousands of vulnerable children are at risk of criminal exploitation.
vulnerabilitypolicing.org.uk
April 15, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Re-entering uni in my late 40s, driven by education that ignores the real complexities of trauma, neurodiversity & care experience. Now in workplace, I’m seeing the disconnect remains: lofty promises with little on-the-ground support. Another push needed for care-ex to be a protected characteristic!
April 15, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Today, DfE announced 40% cut to Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF). A devastating blow to some of the most vulnerable children & the families who care for them. These cuts risk undoing years of progress in care & stability for children who’ve already experienced too much disruption
April 14, 2025 at 5:49 PM
The language of ‘trauma-informed’ and ‘neurodiversity-aware’ is everywhere in care-related systems. But awareness isn’t action. These structures often reproduce the harms they name. Critical questions remain: who gets to define ‘support’? And who gets silenced under the guise of being ‘understood’?
April 13, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Discrimination can be seen differently based on backgrounds & biases. What one views as targeted behaviour may be miscommunication (neurodiversity, language hurdles, or early trauma). How can organisations build frameworks to honour these nuanced perspectives w/out oversimplifying complex realities?
April 13, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Reposted by Claire Agius
The UK Government recently launched a national listening exercise to let #YoungPeople have their say on support services, facilities and opportunities they need outside the school gates. They are invited to share their views via an online survey by 16 April: www.iwill.org.uk/NYS-Deliver-...
NYS - Deliver You - iwill
We’re taking orders—your future is on the menu! Help shape the National Youth Strategy now. #WhatsYourOrder under 16? Don’t forget to check your order with a guardian. The Government is creating a new...
www.iwill.org.uk
March 26, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Reposted by Claire Agius
Earlier this year, our Institute was featured on the UN Academic Impact website, introducing our mission and highlights from our launch event to the world.

Discover what guides us in making a positive impact on #ChildrensFutures: www.un.org/en/academic-...
Manchester Metropolitan University launches new Institute for Children’s Futures | United Nations
To mark World Children’s Day, Manchester Metropolitan University welcomed over 100 delegates to celebrate the launch of its new Institute for Children’s Futures (ICF). The ICF brings together the Univ...
www.un.org
March 21, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Reposted by Claire Agius
We are a cross-university institute at @manmetuni.bsky.social.

Through interdisciplinary research and engagement, we advance conceptualisation and implementation of children and young people’s rights, opportunities and wellbeing.

Learn more: www.mmu.ac.uk/institute-fo...

#ChildrensFutures
Institute for Children's Futures
Discover how we are leading the way in children’s research and shaping policy and practice for better outcomes for children.
www.mmu.ac.uk
March 3, 2025 at 9:35 AM
I devoured this in 72 hrs. The book is a raw, unflinching look at child abuse & neglect. Despite the heavy subject matter, Fagan’s prose is breathtakingly beautiful & captivating, drawing you in with its unvarnished honesty & emotional depth. It’s a stunning and shocking read that lingers.
Jenni Fagan has been awarded the £10,000 Gordon Burn Prize 2025 for Ootlin, published by Hutchinson Heinemann. 👇 #BookSky
Jenni Fagan wins the Gordon Burn Prize 2025 for 'haunting, beautiful' Ootlin
www.thebookseller.com
March 15, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Reposted by Claire Agius
Our report with Child of the North published today calls for creativity to be embedded into an inclusive school curriculum to develop a new generation of creatives to boost economic growth.

www.centreforyounglives.org.uk/news-centre/...
Child of the North/Centre for Young Lives report urges ‘Britain’s kids have got talent’ drive in schools to boost opportunity and stop the pipeline of pop stars, actors and creatives becoming the pres...
Report urges ‘Britain’s kids have got talent’ drive in schools to boost opportunity and stop the pipeline of pop stars, actors and creatives becoming the preserve of the well-off
www.centreforyounglives.org.uk
March 14, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Excited to refine plans for our new podcast on recovery from trauma, merging clinical insights with lived experiences, and exploring questions such as how do we define “recovery”, how can diverse therapies, personal narratives, and community support overcome systemic barriers…and much more.
Our Media & Knowledge Exchange subgroup met last night and sparked plans for a new podcast on recovery from childhood trauma. We will be welcoming academics, clinicians, and those with lived experience to join the conversation. Watch this space! #traumarecovery #childhoodtrauma
March 14, 2025 at 10:01 AM
📣Calling current psychology and education students to participate in an online interview about your studies and how prepared they make you feel for the workplace. #callforparticipants #researchstudy #studyrecruitment
See poster for more details.
Contact our Principal Researcher k.bodfield@mmu.ac.uk
March 12, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Reposted by Claire Agius
The term ‘trauma-informed’ is everywhere, but what does it actually mean? A TI approach is not just about being ‘aware’ of trauma – it’s about shifting how we 'be'.

The #TICSConference in Oct, explores what trauma-informed care looks like in practice. Join us: www.ticservicesltd.com/conference20...
TICS Conference 2025 - Trauma Informed Consultancy Services Ltd
www.ticservicesltd.com
March 7, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Bravo 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
"Yesterday I wrote a piece for the Guardian about my decision to step down as an Associate Editor at the Royal Society’s journal Open Science. The response has been overwhelming."

My latest substack.
open.substack.com/pu...
March 5, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Such an interesting piece, Faith. Thanks for sharing.
Very thought provoking piece - a must read.

Co-production and co-design have to be fundamental - not just to “tweak” intervention contents but from the start.
…if parents don’t act as expected from urban middle-class Western parents, they are then inadequate caregivers. If children do not perform well on tests measuring Eurocentric skills, they can be depicted as developmentally retarded. aeon.co/essays/the-p...
February 28, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Reposted by Claire Agius
💡 Vicarious trauma isn’t a personal failing. It’s a natural response to exposure to others’ trauma. Understanding it is key to protecting ourselves & sustaining this work. #VicariousTrauma #HelpingProfessionals #SelfCarePsychology
February 27, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Please sign this petition. Adoptive parents are on the verge of losing a crucial lifeline. The system is at tipping point, and without the ASGSF, many families will be left without the help they desperately need. This fund is vital glimmer of relief in an already stretched system.
chng.it/69cxVWVkcr
We Can Make an Impact.
The government must provide clarity on the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support fund
chng.it
February 27, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Reposted by Claire Agius
Word of the Day is ‘ingordigiousness’ (18th century): extreme greed at the expense of principles.
February 26, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Attended great event today on promoting research to parliament w @mcrmetropolis.bsky.social, Huw Edwards & Jasmine Hearn. A powerful reminder that research shouldn’t stay on a shelf, it needs to drive real change. My goal: bridge gap between insight & action, ensuring lived experiences shape policy.
February 25, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by Claire Agius
This Saturday 1st March sees the London launch of the new documentary film on the impacts of boarding school #BoardingOnInsanity. I'm contributing to the online evening discssn on 5th Mar. Find out more by signing up here:
www.boardingoninsanity.com
Circle of Change Productions Ltd presents
Circle of Change Productions presents a feature documentary 'Boarding on Insanity'. The documentary explores the trauma that is in children who attend boarding school. How does that trauma affect the ...
www.boardingoninsanity.com
February 25, 2025 at 7:06 PM