Taking Action

The Real David Cameron

The podcast with no faff, no fuss and no fanfare, just people who have taken action to make us more connected or build healthy relationships or help others deal with hardship and trauma

  1. 12/19/2025

    Taking Action with the Real David Cameron and Suzanne Zeedyk, ACEs Campaigner

    I know that people can listen to this podcast anytime, but it is being posted as the Christmas edition for 2025 and it is, appropriately, a cracker!! Suzanne Zeedyk has been mentioned in a number of the earlier episodes and has, clearly, been hugely influential in the efforts to make sure that the Scottish public is a familiar as possible with the science of ACEs. The idea for this "Taking Action” series stemmed from Suzanne's vision for a year of celebration to mark the 20 years of Scotland's ACE's journey. Many of the guests have come from connections that  shehas fostered. For all of these reasons it seems wonderfully appropriate to mark the last of our 2025 episodes with her thoughts. It is also appropriate that this is the first of two episodes that we will record with Suzanne. We plan to take a break over Christmas and New Year and return on the 9th of January when we will feature Warren Larkin, Professor, Consultant, Speaker, Trainer, Psychologist and more, giving us reflections our achievements in Scotland from an external perspective. This will be our “looking in" episode. We will then follow that with the redoubtable Karyn McCluskey and John Carnochan (the "redoubtable" applies to both of them!!!) talking about the original establishment of the Violence Reduction Unit in 2005, which kick started the efforts  being marked in this year of celebration. It will be our "looking back" episode. After that we will conclude the series with Suzanne and I jointly "looking forward”. In the meantime, please enjoy this episode which reviews the series so far, exploring Suzanne's background and current work, which stands alongside what she has done in the 15 years she has been working with the public. Here are lots of links to explore if you want to contact Suzanne or find out more and follow up some of the aspects of our discussion. Suzanne’s website:  www.suzannezeedyk.comconnected baby website:  www.connectedbaby.netArticle written by Suzanne (2023) on the history of the ACEs Movement in Scotland:https://connectedbaby.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ACEs-Journey-Article-.pdf Graphic booklet on Scotland’s ACEs Journey, created by connected baby: https://connectedbaby.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ACEs-Journey-book-screen-190625.pdf Article by Suzanne (2022) on disseminating science to the public, in which she takes about the power of stories: https://mindinmind.org.uk/thought-pieces/science-of-attachment/Discussion with Piers Cross and Suzanne Zeedyk (2020) on boarding school trauma: https://www.piers-cross.com/aem-podcast-36-suzanne-zeedyk-ph-d-aem-36-suzanne-zeedyk-developmental-psychologist-attachment-theory-aces-trauma-boarding-schoolSubstack articles on Fierce Curiosity: https://suzannezeedyk.substack.com/Feedback video on Daring Ventures Programme in Fife: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw9GLoV3Sz0What Then Must We Do by Tolstoy: https://philoonbooks.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/what-then-must-we-do-by-leo-tolstoy/

    53 min

  2. 12/12/2025

    Taking Action with the real David Cameron and Kirsten Harrold, Lecturer in Early Years at Edinburgh College

    I have been keen to record another episode of this series which focussed on Further Education to follow up the wonderful episode with Jackie Galbraith from West Lothian College. Kirsten Harrold is a worthy successor.  Kirsten is a brilliant combination intellect and rigour, with a deep knowledge of the theory of child development and of attachment, and a resolute pragmatism and practicality. All of that is delivered in a completely unpretentious way laced with energy, enthusiasm and humour. She is a great guest with a great story to tell. The training offered to early years practitioners at Edinburgh College is exemplary. They are really well-supported. Every detail of the courses and the context in which the courses are delivered is given deep thought. Kirsten is full of ideas about how to create a culture, how to maximise the potential of students and how to establish an environment for learning. She and her colleagues have also gone well beyond what we might traditionally think of as courses and she talks about some off the events which the team have run out of the normal college timetable. This has given students access to really influential thinkers like Claudia Gold and  Iain McGilchrist and others.  This is a classic example of how we can set high standards and expectations while still recognising the needs of students and the importance of positive relationships. The latest example of this is a screening of the film Love and Trouble https://www.screen.scot/film-in-scotland/made-in-scotland/film/love-and-trouble which we discussed with film distributor Christo Hird in another episode of this series. That showing will be at Edinburgh College on the 15th of January and details of how to purchase tickets will be available from the College nearer the time.

    33 min

  3. 12/05/2025

    Taking Action with the real David Cameron and Louise Marryat, Researcher

    This episode marks our quarter century. It also marks a bit of a departure in that it is a discussion with Louise Marryat and reflecting on her 2019 research into ACEs in Scotland. It is about a different sort of taking action, but we wanted to get an overview of where we were in terms of the prevalence of ACEs in Scotland. As the conversation develops it does much more than that.  It delves into the impact of poverty in Scotland and elsewhere. That underlines the need for us to take political action, as well as personal and professional action, to improve the lives of those affected by ACEs.  It enters into the discussion that we need to have about the tendency to blame those  in  poverty for their situation. It explores the importance of data and evidence. It offers hope by looking at the annual Growing Up in Scotland cohort study which is a major commitment on the part of Scottish Government. Louise argues that the study does inform policy at a time when it too often appears that policy is driven by short-termism, focus groups, vested interests, over-powerful media owners and a political party which is not even in power. It seems that we need that sense of evidence driven policy and ethical commitment to counteract growing cynicism about, and disengagement from, mainstream democratic politics. This episode  is thought provoking and goes much more deeply into some of the big issues that we face in trying to make Scotland a more equal and compassionate country

    33 min

  4. 11/28/2025

    Taking Action with the real David Cameron and Kwaku Adjei, Anti-racist campaigner and activist

    This is a really important podcast for me. I realised that we had recorded 23 episodes and not included anyone from a black or minority ethnic community. That led me to reflect on how little engagement there has been between these communities and the ACEs movement in Scotland so I wanted to explore why that was the case. I also wanted to explore the whole area of anti-racism, highlight examples of action and see where there could be more overlap with the ACEs movement. Kwaku Adjei ań ideał person to do that with. He worked with the Council for Racial Equality and Rights - https://www.linkedin.com/company/crer-scotland/?originalSubdomain=uk. In that role he worked directly with schools advising, supporting, teaching and dealing directly with instances of racism, supporting victims and using restorative practice. He currently works with AdRESS - Advocacy for Race Equality in Schools Scotland - https://www.adresscotland.org - building on the work that he previously did with specific schools. The focus, as the name suggests, is very much on advocacy and support.  Kwaku has certainly taken action and we talk at length about that, but we also discuss the big questions about how we bring together the ACEs movement and the anti- racist movement. We talk about communities with common challenges affected by disadvantage, stigma and trauma and how we might work together better, We recognise that racism and othering appear to be becoming increasingly common and question whether divisions between communities are encouraged rather then resolved. We can often be complacent in Scotland about our commitment to tolerance and equality and this podcast challenges that in, what I think, is a positive and constructive way

    33 min

  5. 11/20/2025

    Taking Action with the real David Cameron and Gwenne McIntosh and Jennie Young, Health Educators

    I am delighted to be releasing this episode of Taking Action for a number of reasons. First, and most importantly, it features two really committed and passionate people in Gwenne and Jennie, who have an excellent project to talk about. Secondly, it highlights work in health, which is an area that I haven't featured enough in the series. Thirdly, it touches on a lot of themes that have been developing across this series. Their work recognises that childhood trauma may have long-lasting effects on self-regulation, mood and behaviour and can increase the likelihood of developing adult mental and physical health conditions. This growing awareness has led to mental health services becoming necessarily more trauma informed. This is reflected in a paradigm shift in nursing education, which is moving from a diagnostic model of trauma care to a psychological, trauma-informed approach. The emphasis is on what has happened to the person instead of what is wrong with the person. The University of Stirling developed a new undergraduate nursing curriculum based on the six principles of trauma- informed care published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This has led to the development of the (T)AASKED model, the aim of which is to equip nursing students with the skills and knowledge to work in a trauma-informed framework and to improve the experience of mental health service users. Jennie was central to the initial development of this work and Gwenne is currently taking it forward. Here is a super video about this work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhMgzKjRvxsThe Stirling Programme is featured in the ACEs Journey video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hik0_sfbF6IIt is featured also in the booklet: https://connectedbaby.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ACEs-Journey-book-screen-190625.pdfAND it features in the academic paper Suzanne Zeedyk  wrote on Scotland’s ACEs  Movement, published in 2023.  In fact, the paper ends with a quote from Brodie Paterson, whom Jennie mentions in the podcast as one of the team who developed the Stirling Programme.  https://connectedbaby.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ACEs-Journey-Article-.pdf

    36 min

  6. 11/16/2025

    Taking Action with the real David Cameron and Angus Bell, boarding school survivor

    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

    41 min

  7. 11/07/2025

    Taking Action with the real David Cameron and Willie French, Chair of Upstart Scotland

    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.

    39 min

  8. 10/31/2025

    Taking Action with the Real David Cameron and Jennie Seed. Secondary School Depute

    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!!

    37 min
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About

The podcast with no faff, no fuss and no fanfare, just people who have taken action to make us more connected or build healthy relationships or help others deal with hardship and trauma

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  • Creator
    The Real David Cameron
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Taking Action
  • Show Website
    Taking Action

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