Conversations can change organisations. They can develop relationships, improve standards, increase results - conversations can change and even save lives.
After 26 years as a freelance Consultant, Andrea Newton shares practical, down to earth advice, learning, tips and techniques to enable you to get comfortable with the uncomfortable and have conversations that matter.
So often we find that people do care, they want to help, but they just don't know what to say - what not to say, how to say it, when to do so .... learning that language is powerful and developing the skill and confidence to engage in meaningful conversations is something that we can all benefit from.
In this final episode of this mini series we recap on the important learning to take away and I have to admit to a little rant about why it is taking so long for us to take ACTION. This issue was first identified in research back in 1995 - over 30 years ago and still people are talking about "better awareness" rather than "improved action". We also need to stop being satisfied by telling folks to "Reach out" if they need help, and every single one of us, regardless of our role or responsibility, purely acting as a decent human being, needs to learn how to Reach In - because none of us knows when someone may need us to be able to do so. I always say that 30 seconds of discomfort in a conversation can help you avoid years of regret and feelings of guilt ... Thank you for joining me on this series to explore domestic abuse related suicide in more depth and if you would like to learn more, there is a free Masterclass on 15th September 2026 that you are welcome to attend - or get in touch via confidentconversations.co.uk
18 Aug 2026
Hayley's Story - behind every statistic is a person and their family
TW - please make sure that you are ready to listen to the tragic story of a young girl who took her own life. This story is not about sensationalisting or shocking, this story, about Hayley, is to make sure we never forget that behind the often quoted statistics, sits a person whose life has been lost. A family dealing with that sadness and grief and a system that has gaps in it. More victims of domestic abuse died by suicide than homicide in the last 3 years here in the UK. Those are the numbers that we know about and that are recorded. There may well be many, many more. These deaths are preventable and in this episode Hayley's Mum, Ruth, bravely tells the story of how she lost her daughter to suicide following a series of events and despite reaching out and asking for help, Hayley was failed. If today is not the right day to listen to this episode, that's fine - and in fact if this episode might cause you upset or concern, perhaps skip it and move on. Take a moment and decide what's right for you.
11 Aug 2026
Reach Out Is Not Enough - Why Reaching In Matters
You have no doubt seen the well-meaning encouragement around Mental Health and Suicidal Risk where we tell people all they have to do is Reach Out. No doubt this Autumn #ReachOut will appear on socials but I am here to tell you why this is completely the wrong emphasis, why this is simply not enough and what we need to be doing instead. If you are already overwhelmed and feeling hopeless, worthless and like a burden to others, reaching out may not be within your capability for all sorts of reasons AND what if you did reach out but still did not get the help you needed, as we sadly see so many times. Our new programme REACH IN is designed deliberately to help us as a society to do better when suicidal risk is present and to not be afraid of starting conversations that can change and even save lives. We will talk more about this, in a Domestic Abuse context specifically, on our free Masterclass on 15th September - hope you can join me?
Who has been a guest on Really Useful Conversations
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
[Guest Name Credential]
Rachel Foord
Valerie J Ritchie
Michelle Minnikin
Kerry Lockyer
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 62 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
93
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
76
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[Host Name] and unknown host the show. Published by Andrea Newton.
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