When someone is nearing the end of their life, planning ahead can make all the difference.

In this third St Barnabas Hospice podcast, Majella Wright, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, is joined by Dr Jess Weller, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, and Angela Wilson, Community Palliative Care Macmillan Nurse, to explore how people with malignant spinal cord compression can be supported to stay at home, if that's what matters most to them.

They discuss recognising the signs, managing symptoms, and the importance of personalised care, clear conversations and advance planning.

Through a real-life story, they show how the right support can help patients, families and professionals feel more confident during a crisis.

To mark National Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHP) Day 2026, Alison is joined by Mandy Pritchard and Rob Goemans, Team Managers of the Lincolnshire Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) Service at Lincolnshire County Council.

Mandy describes the role of an AMHP as being "with someone in the eye of the storm". AMHPs support people during some of the most difficult moments in their lives, helping to bring calm to situations that can feel overwhelming and chaotic.

“Know all the theories. Master all the techniques. But as you touch a human soul, be just another human soul.” Carl Jung

Throughout the conversation, Mandy and Rob challenge common misconceptions about the role. They explain why personalised care, compassionate conversations, and strong relationships are at the heart of everything they do.

Their passion for supporting both the people they work with and the AMHP team is clear. Rob compares their leadership role to the sweepers in a curling team, helping others succeed by providing support, removing barriers, and always putting staff wellbeing first. It's a powerful example of people-centred leadership in action.

This is an inspiring conversation about kindness, teamwork, and making a difference when people need it most. Take a listen, and if you'd like to know more about the service, Mandy and Rob would be delighted to continue the conversation.

Contact Mandy and Rob

mandy.pritchard@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Robert.Goemans@lincolnshire.gov.uk

How can careful planning help people remain where they most want to be at the end of life?

In the second St Barnabas Hospice podcast, Majella Wright, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, is joined by Dr Jess Weller, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, and Kate Sutton, Specialist Palliative Care Nurse and Urgent Care Practitioner, to explore the realities of end-of-life bleeds and the importance of preparation, personalised care, and compassionate support.

Through expert insight and a moving real-life story, they show how planning ahead can bring confidence, dignity, and reassurance during some of life's most challenging moments.

A thoughtful discussion about choice, planning, and ensuring care happens where it matters most.

More about St Barnabas Hospice

St Barnabas Hospice is a leading independent charity in Lincolnshire that provides free, high-quality, and compassionate palliative and end-of-life care. Supporting over 10,000 adults annually, the organisation enables patients with life-limiting or terminal illnesses to live with dignity, while also offering essential emotional and practical support to their families and carers.

Visit the St Barnabas website to discover more

More about Palliative and End of Life Care Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire’s Palliative and End of Life Care website is an information resource for health and social care professionals and the public supporting people towards the end of life. Visit the Professionals section of the site to access the resources mentioned in this podcast.

Personalisation in palliative care emergencies and complex plans of care for people in a community setting.

What happens when a palliative care emergency occurs, but a person wants to remain at home? In this first St Barnabas Hospice podcast, Majella Wright, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, is joined by Dr Jess Weller, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, and Kate Sutton, Specialist Palliative Care Nurse and Urgent Care Practitioner, to explore how personalised complex plans of care can help people receive compassionate, coordinated support in the place they choose.

Together, they discuss preparation, communication, and the importance of empowering patients, families, and professionals to navigate difficult situations with confidence and dignity.

More about St Barnabas Hospice

St Barnabas Hospice is a leading independent charity in Lincolnshire that provides free, high-quality, and compassionate palliative and end-of-life care. Supporting over 10,000 adults annually, the organisation enables patients with life-limiting or terminal illnesses to live with dignity, while also offering essential emotional and practical support to their families and carers.

Visit the St Barnabas website to discover more

Guess what… we’ve gone international! Okay, maybe not quite viral (yet 😄), but we have reached listeners all the way in the USA - which led to this brilliant conversation.

In this episode, Alison chats with Lisa Richer, a Neurodiversity Consultant based in Maryland, USA. Together, they explore what can happen when we connect, share experiences, and really listen to one another - no matter where we are in the world.

They also don’t shy away from the challenges, talking honestly about how systems can sometimes get in the way when people’s voices aren’t truly heard. Lisa brings both her professional insight and her lived experience as a parent of two neurodiverse children, as well as her own journey with ADHD. She shares her reflections on supporting people to find their “why” and the importance of meeting people right in the “messy middle”.

It’s a warm, thoughtful conversation where Alison and Lisa discover a shared passion for language, kindness, understanding, and curiosity.

We’ll be honest - recording across the ocean came with a few sound glitches here and there - but we promise they are minimal and definitely don’t take away from the heart of the conversation.

Have a listen - we think you’ll really enjoy this one, and if you want to learn more about Lisa, please click here Home - Journey2bloom

Warning message: This podcast includes conversations about suicide and features people with lived experience sharing their personal stories. While these perspectives are important and meaningful, some listeners may find the content distressing or triggering. Please take care while listening and consider your wellbeing. Support resources are available if you need them

In this powerful and deeply moving podcast, Alison is joined by Adrian Ellis, who shares his lived experience of losing his son George to suicide just over five years ago, and how that loss has driven him to make a difference.

Adrian speaks with honesty and courage about his journey, using his experience to support children and young people in schools. His sessions are shaping how the next generation understands mental health, encouraging them to talk more openly about their feelings and, crucially, to listen to one another.

As part of Lincolnshire’s Suicide Prevention Lived Experience Forum, Adrian works alongside others who have been personally affected by suicide, as well as Kate Cooper and Ellie Gallacher from Lincolnshire County Council’s Public Health team (find out more about Kate and Ellie's work in Podcast 92). Together, they are helping to influence real change, from raising awareness to developing initiatives that encourage people to reach out for support.

Adrian’s hope is ambitious but clear: to help build a Zero Suicide Society. This podcast brings that vision to life through real experience, compassion, and a belief that change is possible.

Take time to listen. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding, and a renewed sense of how we can all play a part.

More information

Find out more by visiting Adrian’s website: ACE Lived Experience

and Adrian's LinkedIn page.

Warning: This podcast includes conversations about suicide and features people with lived experience sharing their personal stories. While these perspectives are important and meaningful, some listeners may find the content distressing or triggering. Please take care while listening and consider your wellbeing. Support resources are available if you need them.

Joining Alison are Kate Cooper and Ellie Gallacher, who work for Lincolnshire County Council’s Public Health team, alongside Kev and Di Brown, who share their lived experience as survivors of bereavement by suicide.

Kev and Di speak passionately about why they got involved with the Lived Experience Forum alongside Kate and Ellie, the meaningful changes they have been able to influence, and how they provide support for others in Lincolnshire so that they don’t have to go through it alone.

This podcast shines a light on how co-production and listening to people with lived experience can make a real difference, but also includes useful tips and resources for anyone who wants to be able to support people who may have suicidal thoughts: How Are You Lincolnshire | Suicide Prevention.

If you want to learn more about any of the resources or groups mentioned in the podcast, please contact Kate and Ellie via the Preventing Suicide email address preventingsuicideinlincolnshire@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Find out more about the Speak Their Name quilt workshops - you can also contact lincsstn@mail.uk for more information.

For information about the local SOBS group please visit Local Support

Join Alison as she chats with Katie Oates, Community Nurse with the Children in Care team at Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust.

Katie shares how attending a Tommy Whitelaw session in 2024 inspired her to start asking one simple but powerful question in her health check conversations with children and young people in care: “What matters to you?”

One year on, Katie reflects on what she’s learned and shares some of the heartfelt and honest things young people told her really matter to them. Together, Alison and Katie explore why asking this question - and truly listening to the answer - can make such a difference.

This is an insightful and thoughtful conversation, with lessons we can all take away.

DISCOVER MORE

To find out more about Katie's work, visit Listening to what matters to children in care

To download Katie's report about this work, visit Asking "What matters to you?" with Children in Care