In conversation with Nicola Payne about the Innovation Hub

In this episode, we are joined by a familiar voice at MacIntyre: Nicola Payne, former podcast host and now Best Practice Manager, to talk about her 20-year journey with the organisation and the launch of an ambitious new way of working, the Innovation Hub.

Nicola reflects on starting out as a support worker in Milton Keynes moving through roles in our community coffee shop, dementia-focused project work, family engagement, and eventually into strategic best practice. A clear thread runs through her story: learning. From picking up new skills on the frontline to seeking out specialist knowledge and bringing it back into practice, Nicola describes a career shaped by curiosity and courage.

The conversation then turns to the Innovation Hub, a dedicated space designed to help MacIntyre focus on change more deliberately and collaboratively. Rather than lots of disconnected initiatives happening in parallel, the Hub provides a structured, joined-up approach to projects, allowing ideas to be tested, refined, and learned from (even when things don’t go quite to plan). Nicola is open about the importance of allowing room for mistakes, reflection, and honesty, and how this culture of trust underpins improvement.

The Hub’s first major focus is self-advocacy and co-production. Nicola explains the aim to ensure that, by the end of 2026, every local area across MacIntyre has access to advocacy, creating real, everyday opportunities for people with learning disabilities and autistic people to have their voices heard and influence decision-making at all levels. She shares insights from the team’s recent roadshows, where people with lived experience have been central from the very start, helping shape the work and connecting with others across the organisation.

She also describes the value of MacIntyre's collaboration with external friends such as Beth Britton, Debs Aspland, ARC England and Learning Disability England.