Special issue: Cultivating character for care

Abstract

In October 2022, a group of scholars and practitioners came together to discuss some of the most challenging questions relating to ethical care practices. The theme of the symposium was Cultivating Character for Care. The context for the event was a post-pandemic ecology of care which increasingly symbolised care as in ‘crisis’. Challenges in care, regularly reported in the media and in everyday conversations, related to the escalating need for care due to demographic changes; to problems with staff recruitment, retention and professionalism; to under-resourced and overwhelmed health and social care services; and to the impact of climate change. Symposium participants came from a range of disciplinary and professional backgrounds and had lived experiences of engaging with health and social care provision.