Life updates, broken systems and tiny pockets of joy are packed into this week's episode of The Skies We’re Under. From continuing healthcare assessment clangers, post‑college provision crises and why SEND reform feels equal parts hopeful and terrifying. 

Rachel, Lucy and Sarah bring laughter, swearing, tears and truth as they talk about navigating everything from milestone birthdays to the minefield of adult social care and EHCP chaos.

With the SEND white paper looming, they explore what real inclusion could look like and what families fear it won’t. Plus, a very special interview as Rachel’s 10-year-old son making his podcast debut freshly diagnosed and finding his voice.

If you'd be interested in sponsoring an episode of The Skies We're Under, please contact us at [email protected].

To help us keep podcasting we’d LOVE it if you could support the podcast, like, subscribe, review and share. The more listeners we get, the more we’ll be able to provide things to listen to - and we’re chock full of ideas!

We’d love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.

You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:

· Firstly you can leave a message using speakpipe here: SpeakpipeTSWU

 (Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)

· You can send us a voice note from your phone to our email address at [email protected]

· Or, if the thought of hearing your own voice gives you ‘the ick’, then send us an email to [email protected]

Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!) .

Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen. 

We’re so happy that The Skies We’re Under is a free, independent podcast. Any sponsorship received is used to cover the costs of the production of episodes and compensate our valuable guests for their time. The hosts provide their time and efforts for free. They do, however, appreciate any offers of caffeination to keep them going – you can buy them a cuppa here…  

Follow us on Instagram @BornatRightTime. Head to www.bornattherighttime.com to find a parent workshop or CPD-certified training for practitioners in communication, collaboration and personalised care with parents/carers.

Happy New Year! There’s no better way to rid you of the January blues than to listen to Rachel’s conversation with the fantastic Sam Bowen.

Sam is ‘one of us’, someone who has both lived and loved experience of raising and loving a child with complex disabilities. When the candle snuffer came down on her hopes for her career and her imagined life as a parent, Sam has used all the experience and knowledge she has to make museums a truly inclusive environment for everyone.

Sam’s energy and enthusiasm for inclusion, and the power of museums shines through. She’s on a mission to highlight and eradicate ‘othering’, and we are here to champion her in all she does. 

You can read more about Sam and her book here:

Thanks to the lovely folk at The Group for Education in Museums (GEM) for sponsoring this week's episode. You can find more about them and their work here.

To help us keep podcasting we’d LOVE it if you could support the podcast, like, subscribe, review and share. The more listeners we get, the more we’ll be able to provide things to listen to - and we’re chock full of ideas!

We’d love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.

You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:

 (Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)

Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!) .

Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen. 

We’re so happy that The Skies We’re Under is a free, independent podcast. Any sponsorship received is used to cover the costs of the production of episodes and compensate our valuable guests for their time. The hosts provide their time and efforts for free. They do, however, appreciate any offers of caffeination to keep them going – you can buy them a cuppa here…  

Follow us on Instagram @BornatRightTime. Head to www.bornattherighttime.com to find a parent workshop or CPD-certified training for practitioners in communication, collaboration and personalised care with parents/carers.

It’s party time - your favourite threesome have dressed up (sort of!) and are here to celebrate another year of The Skies We’re Under, making it through and remembering all the best bits, and filtering it so we forget all the worst bits!

We reflect on the challenges that the systems we navigate create, the way that we’re forced into ‘fight mode’ armed with paperwork and legal references. Or, on the other hand, feeling the need to be overly kind to protect our children and young people.

This is an episode full of wit and wisdom, about not letting fear rob you of joy, and looking for the glimmers amongst the triggers. 

The charity Lucy recommends is Jumbulance.

If you'd be interested in sponsoring an episode of The Skies We're Under, please contact us at [email protected].

To help us keep podcasting we’d LOVE it if you could support the podcast, like, subscribe, review and share. The more listeners we get, the more we’ll be able to provide things to listen to - and we’re chock full of ideas!

We’d love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.

You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:

 (Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)

Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!) .

Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen. 

We’re so happy that The Skies We’re Under is a free, independent podcast. Any sponsorship received is used to cover the costs of the production of episodes and compensate our valuable guests for their time. The hosts provide their time and efforts for free. They do, however, appreciate any offers of caffeination to keep them going – you can buy them a cuppa here

Keeping your family safe, enjoying times of celebration and being real about what all that means. Rachel, Sarah and Lucy talk all the phases of life, getting used to new realities, and meeting the expectations of ourselves and others.

Sarah and Lucy talk through their experiences of transitions around home ownership, packed with plenty of practical advice* Before the Big C is discussed. Talking all things Christmas planning, how to navigate gifts (both receiving and giving), and how to cope with the changes to routine that the period brings to try and make the most of the ‘most wonderful time of the year’.

*The great resources that Sarah mentions include:

Thanks to the lovely folk at Safe Place Beds for sponsoring this week's episode. You can find more about them and their work here.

If you'd be interested in sponsoring an episode of The Skies We're Under, please contact us at [email protected].

To help us keep podcasting we’d LOVE it if you could support the podcast, like, subscribe, review and share. The more listeners we get, the more we’ll be able to provide things to listen to - and we’re chock full of ideas!

We’d love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.

You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:

 (Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)

Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!) .

Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen. 

We’re so happy that The Skies We’re Under is a free, independent podcast. Any sponsorship received is used to cover the costs of the production of episodes and compensate our valuable guests for their time. The hosts provide their time and efforts for free. They do, however, appreciate any offers of caffeination to keep them going – you can buy them a cuppa here…  

Follow us on Instagram @BornatRightTime. Head to www.bornattherighttime.com to find a parent workshop or CPD-certified training for practitioners in communication, collaboration and personalised care with parents/carers.

CONTENT WARNING: If covering conversations about the preventable death of people with learning disabilities is not going to serve you well, please skip by this episode. 

Professor Sara Ryan joins Rachel Wright on The Skies We’re Under podcast. Many of you will know the story of the tragic loss of her son Connor and how she uses her lived experience and professional expertise to drive real change. Her new book Critical Health and Learning Disabilities: an Exploration of Erasure and Social Murder is trying to expose the systemic failures of our systems which are impacting the most vulnerable in our society. We all need to sit up and listen.

This powerful conversation covers

Sarah’s insights challenge us to rethink how build systems and services rooted in humanity and justice.

Sara refers to a plain English version of the book which can be accessed here: https://learningmet.mmu.ac.uk/resources

To help us get back to podcasting and planning for season 5 we’d LOVE it if you could support the podcast, like, subscribe, review and share. The more listeners we get, the more we’ll be able to provide things to listen to - and we’re chock full of ideas!

We’d love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.

You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:

 (Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)

Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!) .

Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen. 

We’re so happy that The Skies We’re Under is a free, independent podcast. Any sponsorship received is used to cover the costs of the production of episodes and compensate our valuable guests for their time. The hosts provide their time and efforts for free. They do, however, appreciate any offers of caffeination to keep them going – you can buy them a cuppa here…  

Follow us on Instagram @BornatRightTime. Head to www.bornattherighttime.com to find a parent workshop or CPD-certified training for practitioners in communication, collaboration and personalised care with parents/carers.

CONTENT Warning - in this episode we talk about bereavement, grief and scattering ashes.

It’s been a looooong summer!

You’re all invited to a wee celebration of surviving the summer, celebrating the wins, navigating the tricky parts, and transitioning back to a new term.

Rachel, Sarah and Lucy get right back into it, from Rachel’s erroneous winking, Sarah’s paddle boarding with her Dad’s ashes and Lucy’s big pat on the back for some epic milestones and summer achievements. We have it all, including what we have learned about starting a new term well. 

To help us get back to podcasting and planning for season 5 we’d LOVE it if you could support the podcast, like, subscribe, review and share. The more listeners we get, the more we’ll be able to provide things to listen to - and we’re chock full of ideas!

We’d love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.

You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:

 (Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)

Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!) .

Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen. 

We’re so happy that The Skies We’re Under is a free, independent podcast. Any sponsorship received is used to cover the costs of the production of episodes and compensate our valuable guests for their time. The hosts provide their time and efforts for free. They do, however, appreciate any offers of caffeination to keep them going – you can buy them a cuppa here…  

Follow us on Instagram @BornatRightTime. Head to www.bornattherighttime.com to find a parent workshop or CPD-certified training for practitioners in communication, collaboration and personalised care with parents/carers.

CONTENT WARNING DNACPR, death and dying

Missing us already!? Then listen to our best bits!

As we said before, Season Four has been EPIC - let's relive some of our favourite moments from this momentous season.

We’ve got:

We’d love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.

You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:

 (Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)

Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!) .

Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen. 

We’re so happy that The Skies We’re Under is a free, independent podcast. Any sponsorship received is used to cover the costs of the production of episodes and compensate our valuable guests for their time. The hosts provide their time and efforts for free. They do, however, appreciate any offers of caffeination to keep them going – you can buy them a cuppa here…  

It’s the end of Season Four — and true to form, we’re going out with laughter, chaos, honesty, and a few tears (obviously). In this unfiltered finale, Rachel is joined by the ever-brilliant Sarah Clayton and Lucy Parr for a raw and riotous debrief on what’s been a monumental season.

We chat about Brecon’s last-minute bungalow miracle, navigating adult social care (DIY included), and that never-ending sense of "it'll be easier once…" — spoiler: it never is. From half-finished makeup and eye puffiness to trauma tap-outs and euphemisms for death, no subject is off-limits.

We reflect on the highs, heartbreaks, and hilarity of the past 44 episodes — covering everything from trauma and mental health to communication, connection, and end-of-life planning.

We’ve got advice for the summer holidays (it involves not looking at instagram) and just genuinely reflecting on how being together is basically free therapy. Pull up a chair, breathe through the madness, and join us in celebrating everything we’ve shared this season under these endlessly complicated skies.

*To help us get back to podcasting and planning for season 5 we’d LOVE it if you could support the podcast, like, subscribe, review and share. The more listeners we get, the more we’ll be able to provide things to listen to - and we’re chock full of ideas!

We’d love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.

You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:

 (Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)

Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!) .

Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen. 

We’re so happy that The Skies We’re Under is a free, independent podcast. Any sponsorship received is used to cover the costs of the production of episodes and compensate our valuable guests for their time. The hosts provide their time and efforts for free. They do, however, appreciate any offers of caffeination to keep them going – you can buy them a cuppa here…  

Follow us on Instagram @BornatRightTime. Head to www.bornattherighttime.com to find a parent workshop or CPD-certified training for practitioners in communication, collaboration and personalised care with parents/carers.

We’ve got a not to be missed interview with super Stephen Unwin, he’s on a mission to make people rethink how we view people with Learning Disabilities, as well as shining a light on the world's families like ours navigate.

In his book ‘Beautiful Lives - How we got Learning Disabilities So Wrong’ Stephen uses his knowledge, experience and research to provide insight and challenge, and today’s episode provides a wonderful snapshot of his brilliance, as well as his wicked sense of humour.

You can find more about Stephen on his website at: https://www.stephenunwin.uk/

His book is available, in all formats, here.

Thanks to Jiraffe for sponsoring this week's episode. You can find more about them and their work here.

We’d love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.

You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:

 (Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)

Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!) .

Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen. 

We’re so happy that The Skies We’re Under is a free, independent podcast. Any sponsorship received is used to cover the costs of the production of episodes and compensate our valuable guests for their time. The hosts provide their time and efforts for free. They do, however, appreciate any offers of caffeination to keep them going – you can buy them a cuppa here…  

Follow us on Instagram @BornatRightTime. Head to www.bornattherighttime.com to find a parent workshop or CPD-certified training for practitioners in communication, collaboration and personalised care with parents/carers.

The world has been turned upside down, hopes and dreams feel far away, and we’re grateful for the people who stepped in, stepped up, sat with us, supported us and celebrated our families. Listen to today’s episode, as we look back at the Early Years, and reflect on the experiences of learning to navigate a world we never planned for.

Join Rachel and Lucy consider Early Years experiences from a professional and parent perspective. We also hear from experienced Portage Worker Janet Rickman. She shares her experience and wisdom, and all she’s learned from working with families like ours.

In addition, Rachel and Sarah share theme park stories, (including the fantastic Give Kids The World) and Lucy is under ‘Techf*ckingnightmare’ Skies.

To find the resources discussed by Janet and Lucy on the pod, please following the links below:

Help for early years providers : SEND assessment guidance and resources

Help for early years providers : Using the assessment tools

National Portage Association

Thanks to Jiraffe for sponsoring this week's episode. You can find more about them and their work here.

We’d love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.

You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:

 (Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)

Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!) .

Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen. 

We’re so happy that The Skies We’re Under is a free, independent podcast. Any sponsorship received is used to cover the costs of the production of episodes and compensate our valuable guests for their time. The hosts provide their time and efforts for free. They do, however, appreciate any offers of caffeination to keep them going – you can buy them a cuppa here…  

Follow us on Instagram @BornatRightTime. Head to www.bornattherighttime.com to find a parent workshop or CPD-certified training for practitioners in communication, collaboration and personalised care with parents/carers.