The Skies We’re Under

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.

What if all the things we doggedly pursue to help our children are inherently toxic to their relationship with their own body and disability? After Episode 40's genuinely core-shaking discussion with Amy Hogan, Rachel, Sarah and Lucy discuss where their perspectives align and deviate both parents and professionals.

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.

Join us for the brilliance of Professional Geek Amy Hogan, she’ll make you rethink and reframe disability, and help bridge that gap between the experiences of a parent of a disabled child and the experience of the disabled person themselves.

After the usual catch up with Sarah and Lucy, Rachel talks to Amy about the limitations of interventions like physiotherapy and the need for mental health support for parents and children processing a life they hadn’t imagined. She discusses the outcomes we really should be focusing on with our children, as well as challenging concepts around disability and helping us to confront our own (and other people’s) Ableism.

There is SO much we cover, that we’ve had to split this episode in two. Join us on Friday for our bonus episode where Rachel, Sarah and Lucy reflect on the magnificent wisdom of Amy.

You can find more about Amy and research and writing here.

and the wonderful Maori terms for Cerebral Palsy 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… 

Puberty, sexual consent, sexuality and gender are some of the topics making Rachel blush in her conversation with Michael Fullerton in another must-listen episode of The Skies We’re Under Podcast. 🙌 These are conversations we need to have with our young people and Michael supports us to better understand how we support our children with profound disabilities - especially when our emotions aren’t keeping pace with their bodies. 💫

Invaluable resources to help Parent/Caregivers:

🔗 Supported Loving

🔗 Achieve Together

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. 

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.

To celebrate Learning Disability Week Rachel is joined by the dynamic duo Olly and Natty. A perfect pairing, who were introduced by parents Sally Philips

 and Hayley Newman. They talk through how they met, describe their perfect day and have a sing-a-long not to be missed. 

Rachel, Sarah and Lucy  also reflect on the joy of knowing and loving someone with Learning Disabilities - and quite what it’s like to be a parent of somebody with a Black Belt in Mindfulness.

For more information on Learning Disability Week, including Easy Read

Guides please see the Mencap webpage.

Thanks to the lovely folk at 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…