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This policy report presents new research evidence on the provision of inclusive housing schemes for older people, which finds that:• HCS schemes work well in counteracting social isolation and preventing loneliness among older residents• Pockets of isolation still exist among some residents, particularly people from social minoritiesThis report also identifies the interpersonal, organisational, physical and environmental factors that help promote social inclusion in HCS for older people, including supportive neighbour relations; on-site staff presence; inclusion with the local area; listening to the views of residents; inclusive and age-friendly design; adequate digital infrastructure; and a supportive policy environment. Using these new insights, we outline the ways in which national government; local councils, commissioners and designers; and housing providers, scheme management and staff can address discrimination and create more inclusive, age-friendly environments to support us as we get older.

COVID-19 lockdown and social distancing measures have restricted funerals and memorial events and have limited the face-to-face social networks that grieving people might normally be able to draw upon for emotional support. However, while there is considerable expert informed speculation about the impacts of grief and ‘COVID bereavement’, detailed accounts of experiences of bereavement and bereavement support during the pandemic have the potential to enrich and provide nuance and subtlety to the evidence base. This paper draws on diary accounts of bereavement support volunteers in the UK, who have been providing support for the bereaved through these challenging times. These reveal layers of complexity to the experiences of loss, grief and bereavement during these extraordinary times. However, they also point to a number of additional themes that lend a more positive valence to the suspension of normal social expectations and memorial practices associated with the pandemic, which, we argue should be reflected upon for their potential to address the discontents of contemporary governance of end of life and bereavement.

The term ‘social care’ emerged in both official and academic publications in England in the 1990s but has not been defined in legislation. How the phrase has varied in usage over the last 20 plus years is outlined in this article. Whilst the element of ‘personal care’ has been present in the range of descriptions of ‘social care’, the policy context has changed dramatically, affecting the broader debate about priorities in public support for vulnerable adults. What ‘social care’ means as a policy rather than a practice has changed over time. The notion of indeterminacy provides a plausible explanation of changes in terminology and meaning in policies and practices.