Able to Care

In this episode of the Able to Care Podcast, Andy is joined by Gary Derbyshire, live‑in care business owner and care advocate, for an honest and practical conversation about what live‑in care really looks like in everyday life. Together, they unpack how live‑in care differs from domiciliary care and residential care homes, why it can be a powerful option for people living with dementia, learning d...

Why “just do as you’re told” doesn’t work — and what to do instead. If you're a caregiver, teacher or parent exhausted by difficult behaviour, this episode is for you. In this solo episode, Andy Baker (behaviour specialist, author, and trainer) challenges the outdated scripts we've inherited around control, punishment, and compliance — and shares a powerful mindset shift that actually works. From...

What happens when a care package is approved... but there's no home for it to go into? In this vital conversation, I’m joined by Ben Gyles, co-founder of Urban Nest Property Solutions and The Housing Partnership Forum, to tackle the growing gap between housing and care. Ben shares his personal connection to council housing, his work supporting care providers and councils, and how housing shortages...

In this powerful solo episode of Able to Care, Andy Baker – behaviour specialist, author, trainer and speaker – explores one of the most transformative frameworks in person-centred support: the Six C’s of Preventative Wellbeing. Too often, we fight fires instead of fireproofing. Whether you're a parent trying to reduce meltdowns, a carer supporting someone in distress, or a teacher dealing with di...

What happens when a headteacher leads not with policies, but with purpose? In this inspiring episode of the Able to Care podcast, behaviour specialist Andy Baker speaks with Fiona Booth, Headteacher at St Nicholas Church of England Primary Academy, a school recently featured by the BBC for its outstanding, relationship-driven approach to education. With 12 years in leadership, Fiona shares how she...

Have you ever said, “Be quiet,” or “Stop crying,” and meant well — but noticed it shut things down rather than opened them up? In this solo episode of the Able to Care podcast, Andy Baker (behaviour specialist, trainer, author, and speaker) explores how everyday language used in care, education, and family life can either build trust or break it. Aimed at caregivers, educators, and parents, this t...

In this episode of the Able to Care podcast, behaviour specialist Andy Baker is joined by Kathryn Lovewell, founder of Kind Mind Academy, award-winning speaker, and best-selling author of The Little Book of Self-Compassion, The Voices in My Head, and Every Teacher Matters. Together, they explore how self-compassion isn’t soft—it’s essential. Drawing on Kathryn’s experience working across schools,...

In today’s solo episode, behaviour specialist and author Andy Baker shines a light on one of the most overlooked behavioural patterns in care and education: submissive behaviour. When someone is compliant, quiet, or “no trouble at all,” we often assume they’re fine. But beneath the surface, they may be masking distress, emotionally shutting down, or building up stress that will eventually erupt el...

In this powerful and insightful episode, Andy Baker, behaviour specialist, author, and trainer, is joined by John Gray — the legendary author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, one of the most influential relationship books of all time. Together, they unpack how gender, stress, hormones, and communication interact in modern relationships — especially for people who care for others every d...

In this solo episode of the Able to Care podcast, Andy Baker—behaviour specialist, author, trainer, and speaker—explores a topic that’s becoming impossible to ignore: artificial intelligence in care and education. With AI tools appearing in classrooms, care homes, and behaviour support planning, Andy asks: 🧠 Is AI a threat or an opportunity? 💡 Can it support person-centred practice—or risk remov...

In this powerful episode of the Able to Care podcast, Andy Baker speaks with Jennifer Roblin, anxiety specialist, therapist, and founder of Better Your Life. Together, they explore how anxiety impacts the lives of carers, teachers, and parents — not just as a condition, but as a learned, evolutionary response we can better understand, reframe, and manage. Drawing from lived experience, neuroscienc...

In this solo episode of the Able to Care podcast, behaviour specialist, trainer, and author Andy Baker unpacks Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)—or as many now prefer to call it, a Persistent Drive for Autonomy. If you’ve ever supported someone—child or adult—who seemed to resist even the simplest of requests, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on beneath the surface. Andy...

In this deeply personal and powerful conversation, Andy Baker speaks to Sabina Thorpe—a mum, carer, business leader, and woman who grew up silenced by a stammer and the weight of cultural expectations. Sabina opens up about her childhood experiences of bullying, being told to stay quiet, and feeling utterly alone. But she also shares how she turned those struggles into strength—first by learning t...

We teach more with our tone, facial expressions, and reactions than with any lesson plan. In this powerful solo episode, Andy Baker explores the concept of the hidden curriculum—the silent lessons we teach every day through our behaviour, body language, and boundaries. Whether you're a parent, teacher, carer or support worker, you're constantly delivering messages—about safety, empathy, trust, and...

In this must-listen guide for families, carers, and professionals, Able to Care host Andy Baker is joined by Meghan Earle, Able Training’s passionate and experienced lead dementia trainer. Together, they unpack some of the most important—but often misunderstood—questions about dementia: What actually is dementia? What are the early signs (beyond memory loss)? How do we communicate and engage meani...

Are consequences the only way to manage behaviour? In this thought-provoking solo episode, behaviour specialist and trainer Andy Baker challenges one of the most commonly accepted ideas in parenting, education, and care: that consequences are the best way to teach behaviour. From the science of brain regulation to trauma-informed practice and real-world stories, Andy shares six powerful, research-...

In this powerful episode, Andy Baker is joined by Lee Crouch, a father, advocate, and author of Lee’s Journey, who opens up about his experience of losing his children to the care system—and the long, painful road to reunification. Lee discusses the trauma of forced separation, the flaws within social care systems, and how hope, consistency, and accountability helped rebuild his family. With raw h...

Most of us think behaviour management is about stopping the outburst—but the truth is, what happens afterwards matters even more. In this solo episode, Andy Baker unpacks the power of repair after conflict and why it’s the most overlooked stage in care, education, and family life. Learn how repair builds trust, strengthens relationships, and prevents repeated incidents—whether you’re a parent, tea...

In this episode of the Able to Care Podcast, host Andy Baker is joined by Mary Merheim, elderly nutrition consultant and author of Navigating Nutrition in Later Life. Mary shares practical insights into why appetite often declines with age, the hidden risks of malnutrition in older people, and the simple, everyday strategies carers can use to help loved ones eat well. From small snack hacks to re-...

Lying is one of the behaviours that gets under our skin the most. Whether it’s a child saying “I didn’t do it”, a teen spinning a story, or an adult covering up a mistake, our instinct is often to jump straight to moral judgment. But what if lying isn’t about dishonesty at all? What if it’s about survival, safety, control, and self-esteem? In this solo episode of the Able to Care Podcast, Andy Bak...

When dementia takes away memories, what happens to identity—especially if the world never truly recognised it in the first place? In this powerful episode of the Able to Care Podcast, host Andy Baker speaks with Neil Cutler, advocate, presenter, and trustee at Dementia Forward. Drawing on his personal journey of caring for his late husband who lived with dementia, Neil shares candid insights into...

In this solo episode, Andy Baker unpacks why calling someone a “good kid” or a “bad kid” (or colleague, or parent) is a trap. You’ll learn how confirmation bias, the fundamental attribution error, and the halo/horn effect quietly shape our judgments—then get practical, trauma-informed ways to move from moral labels to needs-based, descriptive language. Perfect for parents, teachers, and carers who...

In this powerful episode of the Able to Care Podcast, Andy Baker sits down with Ryan Kennedy, whose journey from being in care to becoming both a foster carer and social worker shines a light on resilience, reform, and real change. Ryan opens up about the reality of entering foster care, why language matters, and how lived experience can shape better practice for children today. With honesty and i...

In this solo episode, Andy Baker breaks down the early indicators of distress—the subtle “bottom of the rollercoaster” cues most of us miss before behaviour escalates. Whether you’re a parent, teacher or carer, you’ll learn how to recognise micro-signals, why early intervention is everything, and exactly what to say and do in those first crucial moments to prevent crisis, protect relationships, an...

What if we stopped talking about neurodivergent children and started talking with them? In this powerful, practical conversation, dad–daughter duo Cliff Kilmister (host of the Parenting, Autism & ADHD podcast) and Eva (13) share real-world insights on autism/ADHD, school placements, EHCPs, praise that actually helps, and why listening to young people changes everything. Whether you’re a parent...