Charlie Beswick: Leading with carers

I am a carer to my son who’s disabled. Which makes this episode discussing the often unrecognised role of carers in society and the workplace a very personal one.

I am joined by Charlie Beswick, the author of Our Altered Life. Charlie is a mother and carer to her beautiful son, Harry, and we discuss her hard-earned wisdom on the topic of carers in the workplace.

We share our personal experiences as carers, and talk about the superpowers carers bring to businesses, through their resilience, problem solving, pragmatism, empathy, negotiation skills, and plenty more.

As the hidden army of the workforce, there is plenty to uncover here on how organisations can better support carers, and how being curious and supportive to all will enable carers to thrive in the workplace.

You’ll hear about:

• What does it mean to be a carer?
• How many people are carers?
• The challenges for carers at work
• Companies giving proper support to carers
• Carers’ transferable skills to the workplace
• How to channel all your strengths as a carer
• How Charlie rises above other people’s preconceptions
• Having to let people go as a carer
• What can organisations do to support carers?
• What is Charlie’s biggest superpower?
• The impact Charlie wants to have on the world

More about Charlie

Charlie Beswick is mum to 19-year-old twins, Oliver, and Harry who was born with a rare craniofacial syndrome and is autistic.

She is the author of the best-selling book Our Altered Life, a brutally honest account of how she came to terms with a life she never expected. She is also an award-winning blogger and her family’s story has been featured internationally on Sky TV and in the national press.

As part of Our Altered Life, Charlie has, to date, educated over 8000 children and young people on visible differences and behaviours typically associated with autism. She has also founded SEND Gin & Cheese CIC to provide parental mental health support before, during and long after their child’s diagnosis of disability or additional needs. She is a passionate advocate for employed parent carers and supports organisations to care for the carers in their workplace and improve employee experience, performance and retention as a result. She has been a teacher for 20 years in both primary and secondary settings, and is a keen lover of gin and cheese!

• Charlie’s profile
• Charlie’s services at Our Altered Life