Martina Tierney Podcast

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, Martina speaks with Michelle Tennyson, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer for Northern Ireland, about leadership, improvement and the enormous potential of Allied Health Professionals to shape the future of health and social care.

Michelle represents 14 Allied Health Professions and shares her ambition to ensure their skills, talents and ability to improve patient outcomes are fully understood and utilised across the healthcare system.
After experiencing the Lean culture at Seating Matters firsthand, Michelle discusses why she came to see Lean Made Simple as much more than a methodology — but as a way of creating culture change.
Together, Martina and Michelle explore creating safe environments where people can identify problems without blame, making improvement everybody’s business, protecting patients’ function and moving care closer to where people live.

Michelle also shares a powerful story from her own clinical career that changed the way she thought about patient care — reminding us that behind every condition is a person, and sometimes what matters most isn’t the clinical problem in front of us.
An inspiring conversation about Allied Health Professionals, compassionate care, leadership and putting people at the heart of improvement.

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, Martina is joined by Mike Farrar, Permanent Secretary for Health in Northern Ireland, for a conversation about the future of health and social care and what it will take to create meaningful, lasting change.

Following a visit to Seating Matters, Mike reflects on the culture of continuous improvement he witnessed and considers how similar principles could be applied across Northern Ireland’s health service.

They discuss shifting resources from hospitals into community care, breaking down siloed budgets, creating space for staff to identify and solve problems, and the importance of distinguishing between value and non-value in healthcare.

Mike also shares the thinking behind Northern Ireland’s *Neighbourhood model*, designed to bring care closer to people and help them remain independent at home for longer.

At the heart of the conversation is a simple question: *how can we create a health and social care system where people feel empowered to make things better?*

A fascinating discussion about leadership, Lean thinking, innovation and building a healthcare system around better outcomes for patients.

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, Martina is joined by executive coach, speaker and author Caroline McKenna for an honest and inspiring conversation about self-leadership, confidence and sustainable growth.

Caroline shares the personal story behind her book, Lead Self First: 7 Inspired Steps to Unlock Next Level Growth, including the moment her young daughter told her, “You’d rather work than spend time with me.” It became a powerful wake-up call and led Caroline to examine the thoughts, habits and behaviours that were driving her to overwork.

Together, Martina and Caroline explore how our inner stories can either hold us back or help us move forward. They discuss imposter syndrome, working to your strengths, stepping outside your comfort zone and the importance of replacing limiting beliefs with thoughts that are both honest and empowering.

The conversation also looks at self-care, particularly for business leaders, healthcare professionals and anyone working in a caring role. Caroline explains why rest is not selfish, why overworking is not always a sign of commitment, and how looking after yourself allows you to show up better for your family, your team and the people you serve.

This episode is a thoughtful reminder that real growth begins within. It is not about constantly doing more. It is about leading yourself with greater awareness, protecting your energy and giving yourself permission to become the best version of who you already are.
***
Caroline's book "Lead Self First" is now an Amazon Bestseller

What happens when postural care is treated as a full 24-hour responsibility - not just something we think about when someone is sitting?
In this special episode, recorded straight after our first 24-Hour Postural Care Conference, I sit down with sisters Anna Goldsmith and Sarah Clayton of Simple Stuff Works Associates Ltd.
Their parents, Liz and John Goldsmith, pioneered supported lying. Anna and Sarah have carried that legacy forward with honesty, passion and decades of lived experience - including their own family's journey through it.
We talk about why seating and lying can't be treated as separate conversations, why families need to be listened to (not just managed), and why postural care is never really about a chair, a positioning system or a piece of equipment.
It's about a person. Their comfort. Their dignity. Their health. Their life.
Posture is not a "nice to have." It's fundamental.
A conversation full of wisdom, emotion and practical insight - for clinicians, carers and families working toward truly joined-up care.

This 3-episode mini-series of the Martina Tierney Podcast was filmed during the 2026 Tierco Healthcare Postural Care Conference held at St James' Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England. The series features three speakers from the day of quality clinical education which focused on the importance of maintaining body shape, posture and mobility.In this heartfelt episode, recorded live from the 24 Hour Posture Conference at St James’ Park, Martina Tierney speaks with Rachel Wright, founder of Born at the Right Time and host of The Skies We’re Under podcast.

Rachel shares the deeply personal story of her son Sam, his complex needs, and the journey of becoming both a parent carer and a professional voice for change. With honesty, wisdom and compassion, she explores the realities of caring for a child with profound disabilities, the importance of 24-hour postural care, and the emotional weight carried by families every day.

Together, Martina and Rachel discuss why communication matters so much in healthcare, how practitioners can work more collaboratively with parent carers, and why lived experience, evidence and empathy must come together to improve outcomes for families.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that behind every care plan is a person, a family, and a story that deserves to be heard.