From 17 -23 November 2025 we celebrate Safeguarding Adults Week. Of course, safeguarding is a mechanism that every organisation that works with vulnerable people needs to have. We speak with Director Phillip Freed about what safeguarding is, and why it's important.

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Today, we speak to Assistant Director Steve Almond about the learning disability sector. Steve has almost 30 years in the field, and has seen many changes. There are still challenges that face the support workers he works with, challenges he'd like to see removed.

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Shane Pulling is a Senior CYP Domestic Abuse Advocate at the YOU Trust. He talks about what the job entails, and why he enjoys it.

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It's Neurodiversity Celebration Week and we want to speak about challenges, stereotypes, and misconceptions people with autism face in the work pace.

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Anxiety can affect anyone. It might manifest in ways that you're unaware of. Our Wellness Coaches have a look at what affects them, and what steps they take to mitigate the effects of anxiety.

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Phillip Freed is Director of Care, Support and Community Wellbeing Support & Enablement at the YOU Trust. Phil talks about what attracted him to helping others and what the future may hold in his new position.

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Stephanie Churchill is a Senior Health DVA Advocate and Kayte Burns is a DVA CAR Domestic Violence and Abuse Worker. Both have extensive experience in the field of domestic abuse, and that includes stalking. Nick speaks with them during National Stalking Week to address misconceptions over what stalking is and looks at what victims can do.

Suggested readings:
https://www.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/sh/stalking-harassment/what-is-stalking-harassment

https://www.gov.uk/report-stalker

https://www.aurorand.org.uk/stalking-awareness-week

https://www.glos.ac.uk/content/the-homicide-timeline/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ0W4ZT5ju4

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49481998

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Chloe Day and Sarah Reed are managers at PARAGON Dorset. They have a great deal of experience helping victims of stalking which is why I wanted to pick their brains during Stalking Awareness Week. We look at the behaviours most commonly associated with stalking and how this criminal behaviour has evolved to use technology.

If you or someone you know needs to speak to someone about stalking or domestic abuse, please contact us. https://paragonteam.org.uk

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Tonia Redvers is the Director of PARAGON, Counselling & Young Lives in the YOU Trust Charity. These services help thousands of people a year to live better lives. It's not an easy job. Having the strength and knowledge to deal with sensitive situations is vital. And these are things one can't just read in a book.

Nick Reay takes a deep dive into Tonia's past. Digging up personal anecdotes and times that have helped shape her personal and professional life. Often with both of them overlapping to create a more holistic and personal approach to helping others.

You can learn more about what our charity does by visiting https://theyoutrust.org.uk/

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The Dragonfly Project develops community-based support for people affected by domestic abuse. Dragonfly champions are trained to provide a listening ear and a link to domestic abuse support agencies so that people who are isolated have access to help.

PARAGON developed the Dragonfly Project with people in our communities in mind. Those not supported by mainstream services can be signposted to help if they are affected by domestic abuse. 

These workshops are for people over the age of 18 and contain content that some may find triggering.

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Nicola Youern is the Group Chief Executive of the YOU Trust. She's been with the charity for quite a while, some 27 years. Nicki has seen quite a bit in that time. But it's her formative years during her first job that really made her realise that she will fight against the injustices in the world. 

Nick Reay speaks with Nicki and learns about her fascinating experiences. Like working in mental hospitals that literally had cockroaches running around orange-painted walls. How she had to put up with some crazy bosses, and how she was accused of killing a kitten.

This is part 1 in a series of podcasts that looks at Nick's almost 3 decades shaping a charity that hires over 700 people and helps improve the lives of thousands.

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