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/

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

Join me with John and Steve where we talk about being a dad but also being a parent carer to a child with additional needs.

If you are feeling isolated and want some support from other parent carers you can find support from:

www.nnpcf.org.uk

www.contact.org.uk

Men walking and talking groups could help with the loneliness:

https://www.menwalkingandtalking.co.uk

If you feel lonely and isolated and you feel you have nowhere to go, click below:

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

In this episode I am joined by Sanchita Hosali, Chief Exec of the British Institute of Human Rights. (BIHR)

Sanchita Hosali is the Chief Executive of the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), bringing nearly three decades of legal expertise and experience working both internationally and across the UK to advance human rights in everyday life. She has led a wide range of programmes on human rights education, law and policy development, and practical rights-based approaches, working with grassroots groups, civil society organisations, communities, public bodies, parliamentarians, and governments. At BIHR, Sanchita champions the Human Rights Act as a vital tool for everyday justice and accountability, working to ensure that human rights are embedded in law, policy, and frontline services. Her focus is on securing our human rights in law and in practice, as protections for everyone and tools for real life change.

• Human Rights & SEND advocacy blog series: Special Educational Needs & Disability Services
• Parents & Carers Advocating for Their Disabled Children & Families: Our Human Rights Act for All the Family: Co-Design a Human Rights Support Solution: Parent & Carer Alliance CIC
• Human rights for young autistic people and young people with a learning disability aged 14-25: A Practitioners Guide: Partners in Care & Health | British Institute of Human Rights
• Find out about BIHR’s human rights training & events: Human Rights Training | British Institute of Human Rights

Join me in a conversation with Shonogh Pilgrim.

Shonogh has over 25 years of experience in the education sector. She started her career as a teaching assistant, going on to teach Psychology and Science in the counties around her home city of Bristol. Shonogh secured her first leadership position after 4 years of teaching, latterly having the privilege of being the Principal of a single academy trust in rural Somerset. Shonogh has worked relentlessly over her career to ensure that every student, regardless of ability or background is given the opportunity to be become the best version of themselves. Her work was highly praised by OFSTED in their publication ‘Key Stage 3: The Wasted Years?’ which highlighted the strength of her commitment to work with partner schools to provide the best possible experience for all students in the area. Shonogh is a passionate supporter of comprehensive education and believes that every child has the right to have a creative and enlightening education that prepares them well to take their place in society.Shonogh is hopeful by nature and believes that a seed of brilliance lies in everyone.

Shonogh took the difficult decision to leave her headship in 2021 to join Whole Education as Director of Secondary networks. She is now the CEO of the organisation and brings her passion to working with school and trust leaders to transform their schools for the greater good of their children, staff and communities. She is an avid reader and loves to listen to others talk about their shared passion for education and learning.

https://wholeeducation.org/

Brenda McHugh (MBE) is a qualified and experienced teacher as well as a Consultant Family Systemic Psychotherapist. Having taught in mainstream and special schools, Brenda then worked for over thirty years in National Health Service Child and Adolescent Mental Health services. There, Brenda devised and ran the first multi-family therapeutic classroom. This was designed to help children and young people presenting with complex emotional, behavioural, learning, and mental health difficulties and support their families.

Together with Neil Dawson they Co-Founded of the Pears Family School London, an Alternative Provision school for children aged 5-14 with complex needs, at risk of exclusion, for which Brenda received an MBE. The Family School opened in 2014 and provides a fully integrated teaching, learning, family systemic and multi-family curriculum. It has been rated ‘outstanding’ in all areas. https://www.thefamilyschoollondon.org

Currently she is delivering a train-the-trainer programme for school professionals on how to run a relational high-impact and sustainable model in school for parents and carers. She is also a national and international guest lecturer and trainer, please contact tina@emeryknowlesconsulting.co.uk for more information on the train the trainer model.