FocusAF: Recent Episodes
Advocacy Focus
Our podcast aims to provide listeners with information on current topics, in an informal conversational format. Each episode will be dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of mental health and the impact it has in our communities, as well as exploring different areas of advocacy from lived-experience and professional lenses.
Tracey Noon is the Operations Manager at Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service (BPRCVS). Her job is to help local groups and people make their communities better places to live.
In this episode, Tracey talks about her own journey and how her experiences help her support others. We talk about why volunteering is so important, and how using your own story can make a big difference in someone else’s life.
Learn more about BPRCVS: https://bprcvs.co.uk/
Visit our website: www.advocacyfocus.org.uk
Connect with us:Facebook: AdvocacyFocus
LinkedIn: advocacy-focus
Instagram: @advocacyfocus
What song do you want to be played at your funeral? Where would you want to spend the end of your life? Having honest conversations about death can bring comfort, connection, and control. It’s a part of life, so let’s talk about it.
Jenny England is the Compassionate Communities Project Lead at St Catherine’s Hospice in Preston. It’s her mission to help us all feel more comfortable talking about death, dying, and grief – so we can support each other when it matters most.
In this powerful episode, Jenny talks about why the Dying Matters campaign helps with starting honest conversations about the end of life, planning, bereavement, and how communities can come together. She shares stories, practical ideas, and explains why talking about dying isn’t just important – it can be life-changing.
To learn more about the Compassionate Communities project at St Catherine’s Hospice, visit their website: https://www.stcatherines.co.uk/our-care/compassionate-communities/
Visit our website: www.advocacyfocus.org.uk
Connect with us:Facebook: AdvocacyFocus
LinkedIn: advocacy-focus
Instagram: @advocacyfocus
Chloe is one of our Advocacy Managers at Advocacy Focus. She has worked with us for 10 years and now supports children and young people with their mental health under our St Helens contract.
In this episode, Chloe talks to us about what children’s mental health advocacy means, how it helps, and why it’s important. We recorded this as part of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, to help more people understand how to support young people with their mental health and wellbeing.
Learn more about children and young people's advocacy on our website: https://advocacyfocus.org.uk/services/children-and-young-peoples-advocacy/
Visit our website: www.advocacyfocus.org.uk
Connect with us:Facebook: AdvocacyFocus
LinkedIn: advocacy-focus
Instagram: @advocacyfocus
In this episode, we’re joined by Dawn Sheedy, a fully qualified financial advisor and passionate advocate for financial wellness. As the founder of Dawn Sheedy Financial Management, she’s on a mission to change the way people approach money, believing that financial health is essential to overall wellbeing.
Dawn shares her insights on breaking the stigma of debt and empowering people to take control of their finances - because it’s never too late to start your journey to financial confidence.
Connect with Dawn on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at Dawn Sheedy Financial Management.
Visit our website: www.advocacyfocus.org.uk
Connect with us:Facebook: AdvocacyFocus
LinkedIn: advocacy-focus
Instagram: @advocacyfocus
We talk with Amanda Robinson, an award winning health and well-being coach and founder of Health Steps. Amanda shares what it’s like to work with a health coach and how they can help people feel better at work and in life.
We also chat about how your gut and brain are connected, give easy tips to make your gut healthier, and share small steps you can take to start 2025 feeling great.
Resources:
- Visit the Health Steps website: www.healthsteps.co.uk
- For blogs and recipes, visit: https://www.healthsteps.co.uk/blog
- For Amandas Facebook group, search for : ‘Health Steps Community-Health and Wellbeing support for all’
Visit our website: www.advocacyfocus.org.uk
Connect with us:Facebook: AdvocacyFocus
LinkedIn: advocacy-focus
Instagram: @advocacyfocus
Our Spot Purchase Advocates are skilled and help people through their health and social care journey. They work in different areas of advocacy to provide the right support when it's needed.
In our latest episode of FocusAF, we talk to Advocacy Focus Manager, Leanne Barber, to learn about the important role of a spot purchase advocate.
Towards the end of this episode, Leanne mentions previous episodes of FocusAF and pages to visit on our website:
Previous episodes mentioned:
- A day in the life of an Independent Advocate with Independent Advocate Rachel Hall
- Mark's Story - Relevant Person’s Representative Advocacy with Leanne Barber
Pages on our website mentioned:
- Spot Purchase Us - Advocacy Focus
- Helping Claire - Advocacy Focus
Visit our website: www.advocacyfocus.org.uk
Connect with us:Facebook: AdvocacyFocus
LinkedIn: advocacy-focus
Instagram: @advocacyfocus
Meet Jody, the new host of FocusAF!
Jody is part of our Community Focus team and served 16 years in the Royal Navy, 18 years in dentistry, and is passionate about helping others and advocating for her two sons.
Have a listen to our latest episode to learn a bit more about Jody and what you can expect in this new season of Focus AF.
Visit our website: www.advocacyfocus.org.uk
Connect with us:Facebook: AdvocacyFocus
LinkedIn: advocacy-focus
Instagram: @advocacyfocus
It's Free Wills Month and we're joined by Kirsten Marshall from Wills on Wheels to discuss all things Wills and Lasting Powders of Attorney (LPAs)!
Kirsten talks us through what Wills and LPAs are, who needs to consider creating these documents and what they mean in real terms. As well as this, we go into how much these documents cost and how you can go about creating them.
Need help with your Will or LPA? Get in touch with Kirsten today:
http://wills-on-wheels.co.uk/
INFO@WILLSONWHEELS.CO.UK
07854 381400
In this episode we interview Darren Hayward, experienced self-advocate, and discuss all things self-advocacy including his extensive voluntary work supporting Trafford Council to improve services for autistic people and those with learning disabilities.
We also chatted to our very own Independent Advocate, Ashley Mee, who shared his top tips in creating and supporting a self-advocacy group as well as the key issues being experienced by people with learning disabilities and the autistic people of Trafford.
Below you can find out more about Pathways, who we discuss through the episode.
https://www.lancslearningdisabilityinstitutions.org.uk/content/about/who-are-we/pathways-associates
If you’d like to join Mission Impossible or support the group in any way, please contact Ashley@advocacyfocus.org.uk or admin@advocacyfocus.org.uk.
We would also like to extend a big thank you to Cheryle Britton from YOLO Wellbeing for sponsoring today’s episode, and for her kind words encouraging other businesses to fundraise for our charity. You can find out more about YOLO Wellbeing here: https://yolowellbeing.co.uk/
Trigger warning: This episode discusses death, car collisions, and serious injury.
In this episode we welcome Karen Blair, Chief Executive Officer of Aftermath Support a Northwest charity supporting victims of car collisions.
We discuss the complexities of witnessing, being a victim of, or being a loved one of someone who's been killed or seriously injured in a car collision. Our host Carolina shares her experience accessing Aftermath's services after her mum's car collision and life-changing injuries, and Karen explains some of the other support available through the charity.
If you have been a victim of or witnessed a car collision, live in the Northwest of England and need support, please reach out to Aftermath below:
0845 634 4273
0151 777 2562
support@aftermathsupport.org.uk
https://aftermathsupport.org.uk/contact/
In this episode we are joined by Daniel Murphy, from TVS Supply Chain Solutions a multi-national logistics company, to discuss workplace wellbeing. We talk about TVS' journey in this space and share ideas of what you may want to try in your own business. Dan also shares what's coming up for TVS in the future, we discuss how Advocacy Focus has helped them in this journey, and share tips for other businesses in this and other sectors.
FocusAF series 2 is here!
Listen to the first episode of the new series, ‘Court of Protection’ with host Carolina de Almeida, joined by Megan Taylor from Stephensons Solicitors and Leanne Barber from Advocacy Focus, to discuss two Court of Protection cases.
In this episode, you will hear about two real people whose lives were changed by the advocacy and legal support they received to access the Court of Protection.
If you haven't already, check out our last Court of Protection episode before you listen to this one as it will aid your understanding of the Court and what it does.
In this episode, we take you along to Racheal's visits and give you an insight into what a day in the life of an advocate can look like. We go from our office to a mental health ward, care homes, and supported living homes. Listen to find out more about how we support people live the life they want to live.
Get ready to learn about the biggest challenges of leading a charity. Find out what it is really like to be a charity CEO and find out how you can make a difference in YOUR community.
You can connect with Justine on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justine-forster-273115ab/
Mark was unhappy, living in a care home far from his family and subject to a high level of restrictions to his day-to-day life. Leanne, one of our Advocacy Managers, talks us through how she supported Mark to move closer to family and regain control of his life.
If you'd like to find out more about our advocacy services, please check our website:
In this episode, we are joined by our very own Charlotte Murphy, an Independent Advocate at Advocacy Focus. We talk about James' story and his experience through the Child Protection processes, and how we supported him through multiple changes of Social Workers, complex decisions about where he would live, and who he could keep in contact with.
James' story is an example of the importance of independent advocacy for children and young people whose voices may have been lost in the system otherwise. If you'd like to find out more about the work we do to support children and young people, visit our website at: https://advocacyfocus.org.uk/children-and-young-people/
Diane and I got together to chat about money! Taboo-no-more, we talk about debt, savings, and financial goals with some top tips on how you can begin your journey to financial wellbeing.
You can find Diane on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-broadhead-3bb25333/
And to find out more about Haworths, check out their website: https://haworthsfs.co.uk/
In this episode, mental health advocate Dorcas Onabanjo joins us to discuss how marginalised communities are impacted by poor mental health, the difficulties some may face when accessing support, and what we can do to create more supportive communities
Dr Lewis Turner, CEO of Lancashire LGBT, joined us for a conversation about all things inclusivity at work. We talk about the support Lancashire LGBT offers to the people of Lancashire, and how employers can make their organisations more attractive to LGBTQ+ talent and more supportive of their LGBTQ+ employees.
To find out more about Lancashire LGBT, check their website here: https://lancslgbt.org.uk/
To connect with Dr Lewis Turner, go to: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-lewis-turner-80b1443/
This episode has mentions of depression and suicide. If you are affected by any of the topics mentioned in this episode, there is help available. Visit the Hub of Hope to find the services local to you: https://hubofhope.co.uk/
This audio quality is lower than previous episodes due to technical difficulties unbeknown to us at the time of recording; we hope you can still enjoy and learn from the conversation.
In this episode, we are joined by Megan Taylor from Stephensons Solicitors and Leanne Barber from Advocacy Focus to talk about what the Court of Protection (CoP) is, what cases it hears, and the Advocate's role in such cases.
To find out more about Stephensons Solicitors, check out their website: https://www.stephensons.co.uk/
Connect with Megan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-taylor-909085147/
And with Leanne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leanne-julie-barber-b24624264/
Jennifer Chesworth from Be Happy Resources joins us to discuss children's mental health. We talk about how early poor mental health can develop in children, some common misconceptions, and what preventative actions we can take.
Post-recording note: The statistic we recorded about children who lost their parent or caregiver due to the pandemic is incorrect. The latest statistic available is 1 in 1113.
You can find out more about Be Happy Resources here: https://www.behappyresources.co.uk/
Mark Edwards from Seriun joins us to discuss mental health and technology. The positives, negatives and tips on how you can use technology to better improve your mental health at work.
You can find out more about Seriun here: IT Support & Telecoms Support | Tailored Solutions from Seriun
Content warning: this episode discusses cancer, anxiety, and depression.
This episode looks at mental health in the workplace from a Human Resource's perspective. Our guest speaker is Stuart Wright from CUBE HR.
You can find out more about CUBE HR here: https://cubehr.co.uk/