Welcome to the Expanding Worlds Podcast
Recent episodes
170 Supporting Young People Into Work: Practical Tips with Mel Simmonds, from Hidden Gem Services
In this second part of a conversation with Mel Simmonds, from Hidden Gem Services, we focus on what we can do at home to help make the transition into paid work smoother for our young people. When they go into their first job,
169 Supporting Employment: How Job Coaches Make The Difference with Mel Simmonds from Hidden Gem Services
In this episode with Mel Simmonds from Hidden Gem Services, we dive into the world of job coaching, outlining the importance of support, understanding, and adaptability in creating successful employment options for young people
168 From Fear to Trust: My Bumpy Journey with Debra Caldow
In this episode, I share my journey of navigating parental fears and learning to trust my daughter's abilities. Despite her successful year in her job, my unspoken concerns about her future surfaced, impacting her more than I realized. This episode reflects on how...
Our Focus
Young people with additional needs should have the opportunity to live independently in a way right for them. The podcast is about sharing stories and sharing solutions that enable parents and carers to support them on this path to greater independence.
Independence for most people consists of three things:
1) Having a Purpose for the day – usually paid employment, but possibly a place to go to make a contribution to the world.
2) Having the Daily Living skills for independence – being able to look after ourselves, cooking, shopping.
3) Having Relationships with family, friends and maybe even a partner one day.
There is also an additional consideration that serves as the foundation of all these – Financial. Like it or not money often dictates how we live our lives, and we need to confront the issue of how our children will survive financially when we are gone.
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All Episodes
167 Unlocking Potential: The Crucial Role of Families, Schools, and Job Coaches with Laura Davis from BASE
Every journey starts somewhere, and for most of us, it starts at home with those closest to us, encouraging us, and believing in us. In this week’s episode with Laura Davis from BASE we discuss the important role
166 Transforming Inclusive Employment: The Role of BASE In Changing Attitudes With Laura Davis
Collaboration can speed up change, but it requires coordination and management to make that happen. This week’s guest Laura Davis, Chief Executive of the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE)
165 Building Employer Relationships That Benefit Everyone with Andrea Randall-Smith from Little Gate
Having more opportunities for paid work for young people with additional needs relies on finding more employers to offer those opportunities. In this episode,
