Listen to a preview of Sensory Informed Design.

For this episode, I am joined by Liz Lavender.

Liz Lavender is an Interior Designer and Expert by Experience, specialising in creating sensory-informed environments that feel safe, calm, and responsive — particularly for people with sensory needs, autism, or a learning disability.

Creating spaces that support inclusion and wellbeing.

She brings over 20 years of experience in design, project management, and global procurement, alongside lived insight as a parent navigating the mental health and autism service landscape.

Liz works across healthcare, education, and residential settings, embedding sensory-informed thinking into everyday environments. Whether redesigning a community clinic, improving a mental health ward, or co-producing a bespoke home, she focuses on creating spaces that support comfort, dignity, and wellbeing.

She is also an Associate of the Design in Mental Health Network, contributing to national conversations on how design can better support mental health outcomes.

Guided by the belief that good design supports better outcomes, Liz champions the idea that impact comes from thoughtful, informed choices — not simply increased spend.

Her work is rooted in collaboration. She works closely with NHS England South West, Devon Partnership NHS Trust, clinicians, service users, and national design networks to ensure environments are inclusive, evidence-based, and practical.

Improving environments across settings to support wellbeing through better design.

We also talk about The Brook, situated at Langdon Hospital, which won an award at the Healthcare Design Awards in 2026.

The design took home the award for Best Specialist Design, recognising environments created specifically to support individuals with learning disabilities and/or autistic people, whose needs cannot be met in a mainstream mental health hospital, even with reasonable adjustments in place.

The Brook was designed around therapeutic spaces, specialist support, and patient wellbeing.

To find out more about sensory informed design and therapeutic spaces click on the link below:

https://www.theenvironmentalhub.uk/

In this episode I am joined by Tony Sammon and we talk about trauma informed practice, whether they are buzz words and how relationships can change behaviour.

Tony Sammon is a teacher and behaviour specialist with over 37 years of experience working in schools. During that time, he’s been a teacher, a SENCO, a Deputy Head in a large secondary school, and the Head of a Pupil Referral Unit, so he’s seen behaviour from just about every angle.

More recently, he’s worked as a trainer and coach, supporting schools across the UK to move away from rigid, punitive systems and towards approaches that are more relational, more human, and ultimately more effective.

His work is grounded in real classroom experience rather than theory alone, and draws on trauma-informed practice alongside some of the most respected voices in behaviour and education.

Tony is also the author of Don’t Lose Your Mind, a book that brings together stories, psychology, and practical strategies for anyone working with young people. He’s known for his honest, down-to-earth style and his focus on what actually works day to day.

To contact Tony, please email info@tonysammonconsulting.com

In this episode we discuss what it's like to be a parent carer from a Dad's perspective.

Often we only hear from 'mum' and we don't hear from a Dad's perspective, until now.

Thank you to John and Steve for these insights.

To get parent carer support find:

www.nnpcf.org.uk

www.contact.org.uk

If you want to seek out support with other men to combat loneliness try:

https://www.menwalkingandtalking.co.uk

If you needing to speak to someone and you feel lonely and desperate, please seek help and support from the samaritans:

https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/