Conversation with Thom Stewart

This podcast is with Thom Stewart We met in Dublin city recently where Thom showed me two of his favourite trees. Thom introduces himself as having a foot in two camps. Thom speaks about system change and working inside and outside and his involvement up a peer cafe in Galway - The Galway Community Cafe. Thom outlines why he thinks peer support is a contradiction within a health system. Thom has a wonderful overview of society, systems, care and the professionalisation of peer support: Peer support is relational Requires a real emotional connection Can be practical in nature Thom talks about systems, managerialism and service culture using humour and sarcasm while bringing it back to how people who receive services are sometimes failed. Thom then looks at the health services and how professionals jossle and where peer support fits and how peer support can be prejudiced against. Thom finishes with what peer support would look like in a cooperative and the social determinants of health. Care - Cork University Press Cassie Thornton (feministeconomicsdepartment.com)