Speaking of Inclusion...

About Speaking of Inclusion...

"Speaking of Inclusion..." explores the role of inclusion within society, workplaces and beyond. Listen along to thought-provoking conversations with special guests from a range of industries, delving into topics such as gender identity, anti-racism, inclusive recruitment, and of course… the role of allies. You can expect insightful discussions, practical advice, and inspiring stories that will take you from being simply being curious to confidently navigating conversations about diversity and equality. Hosted by Katie Allen, Inclusion Coach and TEDx speaker, and creator of Allyship In Action.

Publisher

Katie Allen Consulting Limited

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Oct 2023

Latest episode

27 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

77 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Oct 2026

   Single Sex Spaces and the EHRC - with Cynthia Fortlage

   In this episode Cynthia Fortlage and Katie Allen address the very real-world challenges and risks that businesses and community groups face under the UK’s new EHRC code on single-sex spaces. The conversation focuses on how language, membership rules, and the intent behind women’s and men’s spaces are now more loaded than ever, especially for those wanting to be trans-inclusive (or not) considering the new legal landscape. Cynthia shares her process of translating the dense legal guidance into practical advice, drawing on examples from WhatsApp groups to women’s gyms. The discussion uncovers just how messy, complex, and sometimes unworkable things get when you try to clearly define who belongs in a "women’s" or "men’s" space, why “biological sex” and other medical terms are contentious, and what this means for leaders and business owners worried about both inclusion and liability. The episode also includes workable examples plain language and about intersectionality, privacy, group descriptions, and the politics of exclusion versus inclusion, with reminders that the legal risks generally land squarely on the lap of the business owner. THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS The EHRC code has shifted all the legal risk and decision-making onto businesses and community leaders, leaving them to define membership, wording, and policy, withpotential no-win consequences either way. Language matters: Group names are less important than how you describe who is genuinely included, which must now explicitly address intent, eligibility, and purpose, avoiding ambiguous or exclusionary phrases that could create legal trouble. New legal definitions around “biological sex” raise difficult and sometimes unworkable privacy and GDPR issues, especially when trying to include non-binary or trans participants without having to request invasive medical details. REFLECTIVE QUESTION FOR LISTENERS How much time have you given to how you describe who is welcome in your spaces? And does it truly reflect your intentions of the people you want to participate under the new Code guidance? STAY CONNECTED WITH OUR GUESTS: All of Cynthia’s writing and guidance materials are available on the Curios platform (www.Curios.com (http://www.Curios.com)) and her Substack (www.fortlage.substack.com (http://www.fortlage.substack.com)) General contract and information about Cynthia can be found on her websites: www.CynthiaFortlage.com www.FortlageCollective.com If you value this conversation and want to help keep the Speaking of Inclusion podcast ad-free, consider treating Katie to a virtual coffee at coff.ee/speakingofinclusion. Your support helps keep these unfiltered conversations flowing. Speaking of Inclusion is hosted by Katie Allen. Katie is a specialist inclusion consultant and confidence coach, offering a no BS approach to DEI and helping people become more confident in important human conversations. www.KatieAllenConsulting.com (http://www.KatieAllenConsulting.com) Theme music is courtesy of Kevin MacLeod: Attribution Code"Vicious" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

2. 

   29 Sept 2026

   This Bus is a Safe Space - with Ian de Chastelain

   This conversation focuses on the real steps Stagecoach East is taking to make its buses safe spaces, especially for women and girls. Ian de Chastelain, Training Manager at Stagecoach East, shares with Katie Allen how a chance encounter with a flyer from Businesses Against Abuse led to a whole new direction for the organisation’s driver training and broader approach to community inclusion. Topics include violence against women and girls, bystander intervention, psychological safety, and the practical realities of inclusion on public transport. Ian explains how Stagecoach’s operational and cultural change was achieved not by top-down edict but through real employee involvement, collaborative development of training, and external partnerships, particularly with police and crisis services. The discussion also highlights the challenges of embedding safeguarding and bystander intervention, why supporting employees is foundational to customer safety, and the ripple effect that a single, inclusive initiative can have across an entire industry. The episode offers useful insight for anyone interested in workplace culture, DEI, leadership, and making tangible progress on issues of safety and inclusion. THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS A flyer in a coffee shop became the unlikely catalyst for Stagecoach East taking a stand on violence against women and girls, sparking a cross-team initiative that changed company-wide training and community partnerships. The introduction of the "This Bus is a Safe Place" scheme proved that practical inclusion starts with giving frontline staff both training and authority, backed by supportive leadership,even when the answers create operational headaches. The ripple effect of one company’s efforts led to national recognition and the rollout of bystander intervention andsafeguarding modules that are now shaping best practice across the UK bus industry. Plus we mentioned the 5 D’s of bystander intervention (Delegate, Direct, Document, Distract, Delay) as developed by Right To Be and Green Dot. REFLECTIVE QUESTION FOR LISTENERS When did you last notice an opportunity to challenge "the way things are done" in your workplace or community, and what stopped you, or pushed you, to take action? GUEST CONTACT DETAILS Press  and media enquiries can be directed to Stephen Kiely of Stagecoach East. www.stagecoachbus.com A FEW FINAL WORDS… If you value this conversation and want to help keep the Speaking of Inclusion podcast ad-free, consider treating Katie to a virtual coffee at coff.ee/speakingofinclusion. Your support helps keep these real, unfiltered conversations flowing. Speaking of Inclusion is hosted by Katie Allen. Katie is a specialist inclusion consultant and confidence coach, offering a no BS approach to DEI and helping people become more confident in important human conversations. www.KatieAllenConsulting.com (http://www.KatieAllenConsulting.com) Theme music is courtesy of Kevin MacLeod:Attribution Code"Vicious" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

3. 

   15 Sept 2026

   Rethinking Healthcare - with Dr Jim Robinson

   Host Katie Allen interviews Dr. Jim Robinson, NHS GP, about transforming healthcare from sickness care to prevention and lifestyle medicine, offering insights into patient partnership and holistic wellness.

Who has been a guest on Speaking of Inclusion...

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jim Robinson
• Samantha Garstin
• Radhika Dutt
• Marsha Powell
• Scott Martin

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

433

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 54 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

68

Social presence

0

YouTube

66

Engagement

32

Contact Speaking of Inclusion...

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Speaking of Inclusion...