EP 29: Claire Kendall on BBC journalism, burnout, and building peer support at work

Send us Fan MailClaire Kendall has spent three decades at the BBC and watched the job shift from fast hits to long, immersive reporting. The stories go deeper. So does the emotional load. When she saw that weight landing on reporters — and on the people they film — Claire helped build a peer support network that now counts 300 trained volunteers across the organisation.In this conversation we talk about duty of care, boundaries, and what “looking after your contributors” really requires when stories run for months. Claire shares why a simple check-in can stop a crisis, how time-limited, confidential conversations (usually up to three) give colleagues space to breathe, and why “you can’t pour from an empty cup” isn’t a cliché — it’s policy.We hear the moment she first saw peer support in action on a mother-and-baby unit for postpartum psychosis — and how that experience sparked a model the BBC could scale: trained volunteers, coordinators, supervision, signposting, and real stop-gaps to prevent burnout.Claire also explains what younger journalists are asking for, the role of positive psychology in everyday wellbeing, and why clear boundaries (not late-night texts) protect both truth-telling and mental health.If you work in news, documentaries, or any high-pressure team, this one is practical and hopeful: peer support makes the work better — and keeps people well.You’ll hear about:The shift from fast news to documentary-level access and its hidden tollBuilding a 300-volunteer peer support network: training, matching, supervision, dataBoundaries that protect contributors and journalistsWhy short, confidential, structured chats often beat “open-ended support”How positive psychology and small habits (sleep, food, movement) change outcomesWhat good workplace wellbeing looks like when budgets are tightIf this helped, share it with your newsroom or HR lead — and start the conversation about peer support where you work.#PeerSupport #Journalism #WorkplaceWellbeing #MentalHealthAtWork #BBC #Documentary #Burnout #Boundaries #PositivePsychologyListen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.Show notes & resources:With-you consultancy: www.with-you.co.ukListen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.With-you consultancy: www.with-you.co.uk