Angus Bell's story is remarkable. His experience of attending a well known boarding school in Scotland is utterly horrific, but Angus has certainly taken action. He took legal action against the school that he attended and won a significant settlement from them. He gave testimony to the Scottish Child Abuse Enquiry. Both of these actions took considerable courage. They meant confronting his own awful experience and the damage that it had done to him. They also meant taking on very powerful forces, which we can legitimately talk about as "the Establishment" in Scottish society. He has been prepared to be public about all that has happened to him and to engage with the media and with the police.

To his considerable credit he has not done all of this not in a spirit of retribution or revenge, but in a genuine effort to ensure that what happened to him will not happen to others. He is always positive and determined to discuss what can be done to improve the situation for young people in boarding schools now and in the future

He has also taken action to overcome his own trauma and talks interestingly and informatively about how he has done that, This is only one of the ways in which Angus's interview resonates far beyond the world of boarding schools. He is very aware that many of those who attended boarding school are not casualties as he was, but are damaged by the experience nonetheless. They still occupy a disproportionate number of key positions in our society and the damage that they carry is then transferred to wider society.

He is also describing bullying and the abuse of power which too many young people experience in other contexts, so this is an episode which has much for all of us to reflect on and learn from, regardless of our background.

Angus highlights the work of Seen & Heard https://seenheard.org.uk/ who have been a huge help to him and that of the Edinburgh Academy Survivors group https://easurvivors.info/

Angus is interested in sharing his experience and ideas more widely and can be contacted at angusjjbell@gmail.com

Upstart Scotland - https://upstart.scot/ - is a remarkable organisation. Here's the link to a very old video by way of introduction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMaxhELpG7I. It takes a special campaign to bring together academics, writers, educationalists, forest schoolers and police, but Upstart does that and more It has engaged parents and politicians and built partnerships to attempt to establish a Kindergarten stage and a later start to formal education in Scotland. What it hasn't managed to do is to make that change a reality and we hope that listeners will go online and sign their petition to the Scottish Parliament. You can hear Willie talk about that in the podcast.

What Willie also manages to do is to place the campaign in context. It is not simply about a structural change in education. It is about building resilience and agency in our children. It recognises the pace of change in our wider society which Willie likens to a speeding bullet train while change in education barely keeps pace with Stephenson's Rocket, which, as almost everyone will know, is an original train with no resemblance to a rocket. It recognises the loss of childhood, the mental health crisis and more. It is a wide-ranging discussion and an important one for all of us.

I am really proud that we have reached 20 episodes of this podcast and am very pleased that it is an interview with Jennie Seed, Deputy Headteacher at Carnoustie High School. Jennie is a classic example of someone meeting Jaz Ampaw Farr's challenge to us to be 10% braver.

Jennie is someone who has been prepared to learn from all sorts of experience, in practice, in reading and through learning from other people and then make the effort to translate that learning into meaningful change.

Jennie is someone who has overcome her own modesty and humility to become a leader, not because it would make a difference for her, but because it would make a difference for young people and for colleagues, She has a remarkable ability to bring together all of her learning and her personal awareness and experience and translate all of that into effective communication with colleagues. She is also someone with great natural insight. She understands the importance of getting the culture right and of winning hearts and minds.

As a result, the schools that she has worked in have made changes and made them successfully. She has excellent evidence that secondary schools can have a more caring, committed approach and still maintain an effective climate for learning. That flies in the face of a lot of the criticism that is widespread in Scotland of the alleged commitment to inclusion, positive relationships and more restorative practice. These approaches can be successful but they need to be based on respect and support for staff, thorough and sustained training, a willingness to listen, reflect and learn and make changes to the approach when necessary.

Helpfully, Jennie can talk about transition in two very different schools. It makes for a quietly inspirational conversation

Jennie makes some great links

Paul Dix -https://www.pauldix.org/

Nadine Burke Harris - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadine_Burke_Harris

Darren McGarvey - https://darrenmcgarvey.com/

Chris Kilkenny - https://x.com/KilkennyChris?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5hP0S0v8DE

Gabor Maté - https://drgabormate.com/

Nicky Murray - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGLGuco-L_g

Mark Finnis - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-finnis-46663414/?originalSubdomain=uk

https://l30relationalsystems.co.uk/services/education/

This episode is a treasure trove!!

I am always amazed at how many people are doing things to try to make Scotland a more caring, compassionate and just nation and the different ways that they find to do that. My guest on this episode is a classic example of this.

I wanted to have Laura McGlinn on the podcast because of the short film that she had made about Tina Hendry. Here is the comment about Tina from a blog on the Mind Waves site http://www.mindwavesnews.com/the-words-i-couldnt-say-my-tribute-to-tina-hendry-by-laura-mcglinn/

Tina Hendry was one of Scotland’s most vocal ACEs campaigners. She was talking about adverse childhood experiences long before there was a Scottish ACEs movement, and she had a massive impact on the spread of awareness of ACEs science across the country.

It is absolutely true. Tina played a remarkable role as a campaigner, carer, policewoman and more in making people think differently, raising awareness of the challenges that so many Scots faced and how we might address these challenges.

Laura's film had a big impact when it was shown at the ACEs Journey Gala Day in Cumbernauld in June this year and we focus a lot on that. Here is the link to the film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aHqEjD7jl4. It is a lovely tribute to Tina.

Thankfully, we also find time to talk about Laura and all that she does to take action. Here is a taster

- She is involved with the Tannahill Centre which you can find out about here

https://share.google/jX8wagMfFrlDkfw35

- She is also involved with Mind Waves https://share.google/KJmXgvbGtGNIMXepm

Mind Waves received funding from See Me/SAMH and created "People Like Us" a Podcast series about the effects Poverty has on Mental Health across a diverse group of people and groups.

- She supports Jade Kilkenny and Amanda MacDonald and their Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/323891784826525/?ref=sharent
She has very open and supportive Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/p/CHVa3MrDMGe/

- and still finds time to run The MindfulImage which is a hashtag and brand associated with Laura McGlinn Photography It combines photography with mindfulness and wellbeing. The project focuses on using photography as a practice to connect with the world, ground individuals, and advocate for mental health. It is connected with the #TheWellbeingSignpost and #TheMindfulCharm hashtags.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1AB8ap9QWw/

As I said at the start of these show notes, there are lots of ways of taking action and Laura is certainly finding them

I am aware that the episodes of Taking Action are getting longer and this is one of the episodes that justifies that. Apart from the fact that Fiona Duncan, who led the Review leading to The Promise and is the Independent Strategic Advisor on The Promise, and advises Scottish Ministers in this capacity, is a very impressive guest - articulate, bright, committed and passionate with a total command of the interview - The Promise (https://thepromise.scot/) deserves time for exploration and update. It was a groundbreaking commitment to changing the way that Scotland takes care of all of its children and young people particularly those who are in the Care System. We know that we have done badly by these young people. A previous report was entitled "We can and must do better", but, in reality, it made littler no difference. Its title remained true.

The Promise was different. It involved people who were in, or had experience of, the Care System to a far greater extent and it did that more systematically. It brought together the voices of experience with those who had the executive capacity to change the system.

More than recommendations, it brought commitments. It was also impressive in the quality, and extent, of the documentation. It had seriousness and status.

It brought hope that, finally, we had a review that was really going to make a difference.

Unfortunately, optimism in Scotland can be short-lived. Perhaps our experience of other reviews has bred cynicism. We also live in a world that is obsessed with the short-term and is reluctant to engage with complexity. There is a sense that The Promise has had its day in the media spotlight unless it offers grounds for criticism of the government or those charged with ensuring that The Promise is kept.

There is also a natural and justified sense of urgency. We want to make changes for the young people who are in the system NOW, so I wanted to ask the question "what action is being taken?". That is what this episode does.

In response, there is a fascinating conversation about the complexity of making change, the circumstances in which we have been trying to make that change, the need for deep cultural changes as well as changes in policy and procedures and also about significant progress and essential groundwork in preparation for further change.

I really hope that people will listen to this podcast and visit The Promise website. The children to whom we have made The Promise are the children that we have taken responsibility for. We have decided that they are better in our care than that of their parents or other carers. That is not a responsibility we must take seriously. It is heartening and hopeful to hear how seriously Fiona Duncan takes it.

I hope this is as much of a treat for you to listen to as it was for me to record. As is very apparent in the episode, I am a huge fan of Blue Rose Code and of Ross Wilson's work, but the interview is much more than a piece of self-indulgence.

Ross has taken action. He has a real sense of service and makes that clear. He shares his own experience and history and talks about its impact, He shares his knowledge and understanding of trauma and its impact and he thinks deeply and profoundly about that he does.

The conversation is studded with quotes and references - Gabor Maté, Neil Young, Van Morrison, William Blake and George Bernard Shaw jostle for space among a range of other citations. There is deep discussion of music, particular some of Ross's songs, the task of performance, the role of the artist, the power of anger and we still find time to touch on masculinity and what it might really mean to be a man.

It picks up on one of the constant themes of this series, that we all need to do what we can with the abilities and skills that we have and the opportunities that we are offered, if we want to make a positive difference in the world.

You can check out Ross's website here https://bluerosecode.com/ where you will find details of upcoming shows and the chance to buy albums and other merchandise. I cannot overstate my enthusiasm for the range of his music. Every album offers something different

You can also find his music and merchandise on the redoubtable Bandcamp site, where artists get a better deal, especially if you purchase on Bandcamp Friday

https://bluerosecode.bandcamp.com/

Blue Rose Code live is always moving and entertaining whether it is Ross on his own, in duet with the wonderful Lyle Watt, as a group or as a big band. The schedule of shows is on the website, but please look out for Sounds for the Soul on Friday 21st November. It is for Medical Aid for Palestine. It is in the glorious setting of St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh at 7.30 and it is a stunning bill including the Bevvy Sisters, the Soundhouse Choir and more. It will be a great night for a great cause and, if you go, you will be taking action!

Ross has his own podcast - Och, Brothers! Where art thou? -with his good friend Pietro, where they explore manhood and masculinity from the point of view of men who are, in Ross's terms, not "bampots"!!!

Finally, as a thank you for listening to this episode we finish with "Sadie", one of the songs from Ross's excellent, latest album "Bright Circumstance"

I am delighted by this episode for all sorts of reasons.

Ciara Burke is a joy to talk with. She is effervescent, full of enthusiasm and generosity. I felt energised simply by hearing her. She also has a great story to tell. What Midlothian are doing as a Council, based on their understanding of the impact of poverty, of disadvantage and of disruption on the lives of too many of the people who live there is remarkable. Ciara, along with colleagues and elected members, is trying to ensure a consistent culture across the Council. Together they want to ensure that the 6 principles of trauma-informed practice - safety, collaboration, trustworthiness, cultural consideration, choice and empowerment - are embedded in the way that everyone working in the Council goes about their work. That commitment extends to Councillors as well.

They want service responses to be consistent and predictable.

They also want to make sure that these are working principles, ensuring that services are designed with communities and that they respond collaboratively to the needs of individuals, families and communities.

My final reason for being delighted is that this episode closes a gap in the series. It shows that it is not just individuals and voluntary organisations who are taking action. We need action at Local Authority and government level alongside these other contributions and it is wonderful to see such a great example of this happening. It is also good to hear Ciara giving credit to Scottish Government for its commitment to training, funding and support.

I think there are valuable lessons here for all of us and it is a superb reminder of the principles that we need to uphold if we are serious about becoming a compassionate, understand, trauma-aware nation.

This is another instance where the quality of the recording does not match up to the quality of the content. Thomas Seisay is a wonderful example to all of us.

He and his husband adopted two children who had both been in the care system. That marks them out as caring, committed and compassionate even if they had not done anything else, but they have done so much more. They saw the challenges that their son faced and then their daughter and did all that they could as parents to support them. They then felt that was not enough. If their children, emerging from the care system, needed more love, more care and more opportunities, other young people from the same sort of circumstances would need that too. They asked themselves the question "what can we do, not just for our family, but for others?"

The answer was to establish Haus of Seisay. It's a charity providing training through SQA and SVQ courses in hairdressing for looked after young people. They already ran a salon and provided training through that, but they made the commitment to concentrate that on those who needed it most. You can read the story on their website here https://hausofseisay.org/home.

Thomas has been told that the "business model" wouldn't work, but, in the words of the great American writer James Baldwin, 'Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it." Thomas was doing the interrupting!

The model is working and is generating amazing successes. Young people are blossoming through getting the right sort of support. Haus of Seisay offers so much more than vocational training. They work on confidence, wellbeing, employability and, above all, they put the young person at the centre and tailor whatever they do to their needs..

Please check Haus of Seisay out on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/hausofseisay/ or on X https://x.com/hoshairdressingor look them up on Linkedin and think about supporting them. Thomas is a classic example of "do what you can, and use what you have". He and his colleagues have done that and a lot of young people are benefitting from it