A special education needs campaigner has taken a giant leap forward by quitting her teaching job to concentrate on her work supporting families.
Charlie Beswick, who founded Our Altered Life six years ago, has helped hundreds of parent carers across the UK. She has now gone full time in the role and had immediate success after winning an award in an influential HR magazine competition.
Born out of Charlie’s own struggles as a parent carer, Our Altered Life aims to support carers through group activities, talks and mentoring.
It also works with companies to ensure they can support carers in the workplace to be happy, healthy, and productive employees.
Charlie has been a teacher for 16 years but founded Our Altered Life after going through her own mental wellbeing battles following the birth of her twin sons Oliver and Harry.
Harry has Goldenhar syndrome, and was born missing an eye, eye-socket, nostril, and ear from one side of his face. He was later diagnosed with autism.
Charlie’s work with companies gained major recognition in July when she was named as one of the top 30 HR Most Influential Thinkers of 2024 by HR Magazine.
The magazine publishes two lists each year showcasing 30 HR professionals and 30 HR ‘thinkers’. Charlie appears on the ‘thinkers’ list.
Charlie from Biddulph, said: “I am thrilled to have been recognised by HR magazine.
“I’m not an HR professional but I work with HR professionals to support organisations needing to find a better way of working with employees who are carers.
“The award is especially satisfying as it is created using nominations from HR practitioners, thought leaders and influencers across the public, private and third sectors.”
Outlining the extent of the task ahead, Charlie said: “According to the 2021 Census, there are 2.5 million unpaid carers in employment (excluding full-time students) in England and Wales.
“We have a recruitment and retention crisis in the UK, yet Carers UK say 600 people a day leave work to care.
“Therefore, it is easy to see that better strategies at work to ensure carers are both happy and productive to their employers is a real necessity.”
Alongside consultancy work with companies, Charlie runs advice sessions in schools and both online and face to face workshops and mentoring sessions.
Her SEND Gin and Cheese support group, set up in 2022, has proved extremely popular and has grown to a community of over 3,400 people.
