In the week that Parliament decided to give the vote to sixteen year olds, welcome back to Fearless Diversity, the podcast where age isn’t just a tick-box in the census, it’s the parent, the baby, and the teenage activist in the room. Join Simon, your resident digitally Bewildered Baby Boomer, living proof that you can survive a childhood without Wi-Fi or oat milk and Rachel stuck between Millennials’ optimism and Greta Thunberg’s existential despair.

Age is a minefield for managers and leaders. The young are idealised, patronised or indulged at work, while older people’s experience is either venerated or wasted and at worst consigned to the scrap heap. Some execs think their teenage children understand the world better than they do, young people reverse JFK’s exhortation and demand what the company can do for them and everybody disagrees about phone use, social media and how to communicate.

Rachel and Simon navigate the generational maze using their practical experience with clients and the latest scientific research. Neuroscience tells us that brains just aren’t fully cooked until at least 25. Executive function, the bit that helps you plot revolution or file taxes are still developing during your teens and early twenties. So, do children need parents, young people need older people and indignation need experience?

With age, discrimination goes both ways. In politics and workplaces, society is still wrestling with whose voice matters and whose is discounted. The generational divide is real, awkward, and much like our podcast, refuses to fit into a single, easy narrative.

So grab a cup of tea, an oat latte (God forbid), or just a tepid mug of nostalgia, and join us as we slice, dice, and deconstruct what age really means in a rapidly changing UK.

Equality Act – age discrimination and exceptions

https://shorturl.at/yolHi

Prof Sallie Baxendale - profile

https://shorturl.at/08fv7

Law Society of Scotland - Brain not fully developed until age 25, research reveals

https://shorturl.at/32aPn

Understanding the Teen Brain - University of Rochester

https://shorturl.at/uXvwK

The Power of Difference

Pp 201 – 204 and p208

https://shorturl.at/hvrfm

John Allen / CBI

https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/article/carolyn-fairbairn-on-cbis-really-good-culture-despite-sex-allegations-qhcmzc75s

Resolution Foundation report on young people’s mental health

https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/weve-only-just-begun/

Harmful stereotypes of young people fuelling record numbers to fall out of work

https://shorturl.at/y6saT

For more about Rachel: Who Is The Fearless Facilitator? - Fearless Facilitator

For more about Simon: Who We Are – Diversity by Design

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s Be Honest: The conversation on immigration is neither neat nor simple.

So in this episode, Rachel and Simon wade straight into the mess of history, aspiration, personal fear, good intentions and the fear of getting it wrong which make it so complicated.

Simon unpacks the historical waves of immigration since the War and the reaction which exposes public ambivalence and ingrained biases, caught between welcoming diversity and grappling with the underlying uncertainties which for so many reflects reality in UK workplaces. Born in Australia, Rachel tells how she was compelled every year to show up Britain’s intimidating immigration hub in Croydon, until she could finally become officially British in front of a cardboard cut-out of the Queen. Meanwhile,

The discussion challenges simplistic, binary views on race, identity, and integration. Behind every headline statistic and heated debate are real human stories, the personal experiences of immigrants. Central to the conversation is the crucial role that curiosity and language play in shaping inclusive workplaces.

As Simon explores the changes to Dagenham since his family owned it in the 16th and 17th centuries and the initial peculiarity of some loo signage at Edinburgh University, they confront serious questions: What role does language really play in integration? How do we move past simplistic narratives about race and identity to foster genuine workplace cohesion? Why questions of race may be morally black and white, but practically they are more complicated. And who wore Union Jack shoes at a citizenship ceremony?

The episode invites listeners to view immigration not as a monolithic policy matter but as a multifaceted human challenge requiring thoughtful integration over assimilation, inquiry over offence, and fact-driven conversations over fear-driven narratives.

Expect laughter and a healthy dose of fearless candour as they untangle myths, misconceptions, and the genuine anxieties that shape Britain’s diverse workplaces.

Official immigration stats

https://shorturl.at/Sw9W6

NHS staff stats

https://shorturl.at/SPNPB

King’s Fund reports on immigrants and health

https://shorturl.at/9flnL

Social Attitudes Survey

https://natcen.ac.uk/publications/british-social-attitudes-41-national-identity

Attitudes to race – IPSOS

https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/attitudes-race-and-inequality-great-britain

EVENS (Evidence for Equality National Survey) 2023 (Guardian article)

https://shorturl.at/pAUyv

Tomiwa Owolade critique of the EVENS

https://shorturl.at/xvT5H

Instructing Animosity: How DEI Pedagogy Produces The Hostile Attribution Bias (Rutgers 2024)

https://networkcontagion.us/wp-content/uploads/Instructing-Animosity_11.13.24.pdf

For more about Rachel: Who Is The Fearless Facilitator? - Fearless Facilitator

For more about Simon: Who We Are – Diversity by Design

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After explosive scenes at Glastonbury and two alarming reports detailing “cancellation” and fear sweeping through both publishing and the arts, Fearless Diversity dives into the complex world of artistic freedom, censorship and public outrage.

Simon wrestles with whether there are any limits to what artists can say and whether Rod Stewart should just shut up about Gaza and Farage, and stick to singing “Maggie May”. Meanwhile Rachel tries (and fails) to keep the chat away from her beloved football, Edinburgh and her horror at the antisemitism at Glastonbury.

We’re not afraid to tackle the big issues:

· Should Glastonbury—or any promoter—gag their artists?

· Did the BBC go too far by airing those incendiary performances live to millions?

· Should festival boss Emily Eavis have shown more caution in her line-up?

We explore the issues around those hounded out of publishing and the arts simply for voicing their views. And we ask: Should museums tell us what to think, or should the public be trusted to make up their own minds?

From “Queers for Palestine” banners to Marilyn Manson’s headline-grabbing antics - and even the shocking appearance of a Hitler flag at Glasto - nothing is off limits as we explore the blurry line between free speech, the freedom of artists, outrage, hostility and moral responsibility or the law. Was Rushdie right when he said "The moment you limit free speech it's not free speech'.

Plus, find out why Simon’s mother protested at Scotland’s smartest retailer Jenner’s and how Rachel was brought up by an elephant.

This week’s show is bold, provocative and just serious enough to keep us on air. We hope this episode prompts us all to ask: what exactly is artistic freedom for?

Tune in, shout at your speaker or nod in agreement and let's thrash it out together. At Fearless Diversity we are always up for a difference of opinion.

RESOURCES:

Freedom In The Arts (FITA) report

https://shorturl.at/hs3UI

Every Day Cancellation in Publishing Report

https://sex-matters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Everyday-cancellation-in-publishing-Sex-Matters.pdf

The First Writers' Congress of Donald Trump – David Aaronovitch

https://shorturl.at/Q5ZGO

Rachel Rooney - My Body Is Me – attacked

https://shorturl.at/HVjSV

Buy it:

https://shorturl.at/HyoT1

Letter to Sadler’s Well re Barclays sponsorship

https://shorturl.at/Sex2J

Letter re Manchester Royal Exchange’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

https://shorturl.at/tEl1H

Report on letter to PEN opposing the Award to Charlie Hebdo

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/apr/29/writers-join-protest-charlie-hebdo-pen-award

For more about Rachel: Who Is The Fearless Facilitator? - Fearless Facilitator

For more about Simon: Who We Are – Diversity by Design

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PIP PIP Hooray - Disability: People, Potential, and the Art of the Possible

Welcome to Fearless Diversity the podcast that tackles the tricky bits of life in work and has the conversation that you want to. This week Simon and Rachel dive into disability after the huge public, media and Parliamentary furore about welfare reform and the implications for disabled people receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP). In our conversation we unpick some of the biggest issues facing disabled people in the UK today, from societal stigma, employment and pay gaps to the ongoing complexity of reasonable adjustments, the increase in mental health issues and guess what? Donkeys, yes donkeys, play a starring role.

Expect frank conversation as we explore the uncomfortable truths of workplace discrimination and the baffling obstacles of physical and digital accessibility. There’s plenty of laughter too, as Rachel recounts her uniquely blunt doctor's appointment, and Simon shares a surprisingly profound life lesson learned during a spirited game of croquet!

Follow our conversation moving beyond the importance of just considering the needs of people living with disability to seeing that as a crucial step in unlocking human potential at work and in life.

Settle in and join us as we ask why we are still so hesitant to embrace the art of the possible when it comes to disability and how we can reframe the entire conversation into one that is human, and focuses on the potential of everyone.

How Kendall can stop this national sickness - Fraser Nelson (The Times)

https://shorturl.at/rFvnK

Professor Peter Fonagy - Understanding the crisis in young people’s mental health

https://www.health.org.uk/features-and-opinion/blogs/understanding-the-crisis-in-young-people-s-mental-health

Government advice on disability and employment

https://www.gov.uk/rights-disabled-person/employment

The employment of disabled people updated 20 June 2025

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/the-employment-of-disabled-people-2024/the-employment-of-disabled-people-2024

Team Domenica

https://teamdomenica.com/

The scenario

Sally has a diagnosis of autism. But she has not told anyone. Not her colleagues, not her manager, not HR. She is a high performer.

Colleagues have noticed that she can take statements very literally which can cause problems or that she sometimes appears to struggle to figure out when it’s her turn to talk or listen during a conversation. As a result, she sometimes talks for an excessive period of time or at others seems disinterested in what colleagues are saying.

Quite often people in the team will joke that: “Oh, I park my car in the same spot every day … I must be a bit autistic” or “I’m super OCD about my desk being tidy”. Finally one day having coffee with her team in the canteen her frustration boils over. “Well I am autistic”, she says. Two of her colleagues say, trying to be sympathetic, “Gosh, well we’re all a bit on the spectrum”. And Sally leaves.

For more about Rachel: Who Is The Fearless Facilitator? - Fearless Facilitator

For more about Simon: Who We Are – Diversity by Design

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s face it: conversations about race make even the most fearless among us uneasy, awkward or just very nervous. In this episode of Fearless Diversity, Simon Fanshawe (Diversity Dissident) and Rachel Cashman (Fearless Facilitator) dive headlong into the silence, discomfort, and tiptoeing that surrounds race at work and in everyday life.

Prompted to record this episode by the publication of Baroness Casey's 'National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse' and the associated headlines -defensive and offensive - Simon and Rachel felt it was time to talk about race.

Ever found yourself tippexing out uncomfortable truths, dodging controversy, or simply holding back from fear of saying the unsayable? You’re not alone. Simon and Rachel unravel why so many of us, particularly well-intentioned liberals, get tied in knots over race. From performance management gone wrong to navigating everyday interactions loaded with uncertainty, they explore why good intentions too often lead to bad outcomes.

Expect honest reflections, laugh-out-loud insights, and some genuinely uncomfortable moments (yes, they’re going there). But above all, prepare for a much-needed call to courage because if we don’t fill the conversational vacuum, someone far less helpful certainly will.

Baroness Casey 'National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse':

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-audit-on-group-based-child-sexual-exploitation-and-abuse

Baroness Casey Newsnight Interview: https://youtu.be/_1u7-dXwhs0

People Management: https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1919974/black-employees-disproportionately-subjected-worker-surveillance-report-finds

Ten Years of Snowy White Peaks, Workforce Race Equality in the NHS: https://bmjleader.bmj.com/content/9/2/178

Nazir Afzal Comment Piece in Observer: https://observer.co.uk/news/opinion-and-ideas/article/cowardice-and-inaction-left-children-to-be-abused

The Good Ally by Nova Reid: https://amzn.eu/d/1l72wVl

The Power of Difference – Simon Fanshawe (stereotypes pp 114-115)

https://shorturl.at/eiBgb

What Casey Did - The real report, not the one in the papers by David Aaronovitch

https://davidaaronovitch.substack.com/p/what-casey-did?utm_campaign=email-post&r=u6e8&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

For more about Rachel: Who Is The Fearless Facilitator? - Fearless Facilitator

For more about Simon: Who We Are – Diversity by Design

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Simon Fanshawe, the Diversity Dissident, and Rachel Cashman, the Fearless Facilitator, as they boldly dive into one of everyone's least favourite topics: Failure! With wit, honesty, and plenty of personal anecdotes (Rachel fails daily, Simon hourly!), they tackle why failing isn't just inevitable, but essential for growth.

From Edison’s famous quip about discovering "10,000 ways not to do it," to dramatic real-world examples including nuclear reactors and Broadway producers, Simon and Rachel explore how embracing failure can become a powerful force for learning and innovation.

This episode unpacks practical questions leaders often wrestle with: How much failure is acceptable? What's our real tolerance for risk? And how can leaders build cultures where failure doesn't trigger shame, but instead sparks collective insight and adaptation?

Expect laughter, levity, and serious wisdom as Rachel and Simon reveal why "Failure Fridays" could become your organisation's most valuable weekly meeting—and how learning to pivot well can transform setbacks into breakthroughs.

Turn your failures into food for thought with Simon and Rachel, listen in and learn how falling flat on your face might just be the best thing you do all day!

For more about Rachel: Who Is The Fearless Facilitator? - Fearless Facilitator

For more about Simon: Who We Are – Diversity by Design

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready to tackle another hot topic with Simon and Rachel as they have the conversations you want to In this episode, they're diving deep into the question: What exactly do we mean by free speech, especially at work?

From academic freedom and artistic expression to controversial workplace debates and social media snafus, Rachel and Simon fearlessly (and humorously) navigate the delicate dance of speaking your mind without breaking the office etiquette. Simon boldly explores how free speech can quickly turn chaotic without clear boundaries, while Rachel brings her trademark clarity, unpacking the mechanics and dynamics behind workplace conduct, speech, and silence, she has talked before about measuring it and today she majors on leveraging it and lessons from a silent retreat!

Expect sharp wit, real-life scenarios (awkward comedy clubs, anyone?), and insightful tips as they tackle whether expressing your "authentic self" at work is a freedom or a potential landmine. With stories ranging from protest encampments to inappropriate office outfits, Simon and Rachel offer practical wisdom and plenty of laughs on managing tricky conversations, setting boundaries, and embracing the essential art of disagreeing well.

Join Simon and Rachel as they redefine free speech at work where sometimes the bravest thing you can say is nothing at all!

For more about Rachel: Who Is The Fearless Facilitator? - Fearless Facilitator

For more about Simon: Who We Are – Diversity by Design

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hold on tight as Simon and Rachel tackle a red-hot question: Are your employees still just employees, or are they morphing into activists? From baked beans to workplace tussles about toilets (a subject that disproportionately is vexing employers and their staff right now!) and drag pantos at Christmas parties, this conversation has everything, and a few surprises.

Find out why Rachel was kettled by the Metropolitan Police outside Miss World in her younger years, while Simon fondly remembers being “bullied” by bolshy feminists into joining activism life-changing, he insists! Together they dive headfirst into the messy business of workplace activism, staff networks, and how companies are struggling to balance societal debates with core business objectives.

Expect insightful banter, playful disagreement, and a healthy dose of practical wisdom as they explore whether activism at work builds belonging or creates division, and why some issues spark genuine progress while others ignite polarisation. Is your CEO secretly terrified of town halls? Could your company accidentally silence the majority while amplifying a few loud voices? And just why are women’s networks sometimes named so awkwardly?

Join Rachel and Simon as they fearlessly unpack this sensitive, complex topic with humour, empathy, and (of course!) courageous candour.

For more about Rachel: Who Is The Fearless Facilitator? - Fearless Facilitator

For more about Simon: Who We Are – Diversity by Design

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.