Supporting our carers

This National Carers Week, we’re recognising the many ways caring shows up and sharing the stories of Vicinity team members who balance caring responsibilities alongside work and everyday life.

Caring can mean advocating for a child through medical appointments and treatment, supporting a loved one living with disability or helping ageing parents navigate life’s next chapter. Every experience is different, but caring often happens quietly. We don’t always know what someone may be balancing outside work.

These stories highlight the difference that flexibility, understanding and trusted relationships with colleagues and leaders can make when caring responsibilities arise.

Leigh Caulfield, National Security Operations Manager, caring for his son Tyler

Leigh’s caring experience

Our son Tyler lives with mitochondrial disease (Mito), a rare genetic condition that affects the body's ability to produce energy. The condition impacts his vision, hearing and energy levels and is progressively worsening. Tyler is now legally blind, has lost around half of his hearing and experiences significant fatigue, often requiring a wheelchair for everyday activities such as walking around a shopping centre or taking the dogs to the park. Being a carer means being an advocate, a supporter and a source of encouragement. It is about helping someone overcome challenges while also ensuring they have every opportunity to enjoy life and achieve their potential.

Balancing work and caring

Balancing work and caring responsibilities can be challenging, particularly when there are medical appointments, unexpected health issues or times when Tyler needs additional support. What has helped most is having a supportive workplace and leaders who understand that life outside of work matters.

What support makes possible

For me, working from home can mean taking Tyler to school, physiotherapy or specialist appointments, and giving my wife Laura some much-needed relief. I manage this by blocking time in my calendar, so respecting those commitments is really important. I also do my best not to let my caring responsibilities impact my work, but there are times when things are tough. If I'm having a difficult day, it's important for people to know it's not because of them, it's simply part of balancing work and caring responsibilities.

I'm also an open book when it comes to talking about Tyler and his condition. I'd much rather people know our story than feel uncomfortable not knowing what to say. Carers don't expect special treatment, but understanding, flexibility and a simple "How are you going?" can make a huge difference.

Leah Bannard, Performance & Reward Advisor, caring for her son Charlie

Leah’s caring experience

As the parent of a child with disability, caring isn't something I switch on and off. It sits beside every decision, every plan and every future thought. It travels with me into school meetings, specialist appointments and therapy sessions. It follows me into the quiet moments of the evening and often into the early hours of the morning.

Balancing work and caring

The truth is I don't think balance is the right word. Balance suggests an even distribution, a neat allocation of time and energy. It implies that if I work hard enough, organise myself well enough, or find the right routine, everything will somehow sit comfortably in its place. For many carers, that's simply not reality.

Long before I log on for work each morning, I've often already lived an entire day. There are appointments to book, reports to read, emails to send, forms to complete, therapists to coordinate, medication routines to manage and plans to put in place. There are sleepless nights, disrupted mornings and difficult conversations. There is the constant mental load of advocating for someone who cannot advocate for themselves, and the invisible work of explaining, protecting and hoping.

What support makes possible

What has made a significant difference for me is working in an environment where flexibility is more than a policy. Having leaders who trust me to get the work done, even when the path there doesn't look traditional, has been invaluable. Caring responsibilities don't always fit neatly into a calendar invite or a standard working week. Some weeks require more. Some days require flexibility. Some moments simply require understanding.

Jane Pickett, General Manager People, Services and Reward, caring for her mum Elizabeth

Jane's caring experience

Until recently, I don't think I fully understood what it meant to be a carer or the many different forms caring can take. For me, caring has meant supporting my mum through one of the biggest and most difficult transitions of her life. She has had to accept that she can no longer live safely on her own and has moved into residential aged care.

At times, it has been heartbreaking. Mum has had to come to terms with leaving the home and life she knows. As a family, we've had to make incredibly difficult decisions while doing everything we can to ensure she still has a voice in what happens next.

Balancing work and caring

Life doesn't pause while you care for someone. I'm still a mum and a wife, and I work full time. Some days, balancing it all feels overwhelming. I am still finding my way through it and trying to balance being there for Mum with the other important people and parts of my life. Along the way, I am also learning that accepting support and looking after myself matter too. What matters most to me is knowing that Mum is safe and cared for, and that she continues to feel loved and connected to our family.

Alex Murray, Talent & Organisational Development Advisor, caring for her son Jack

Alex's caring experience

Earlier this year, just two weeks after returning from my second parental leave, my life changed unexpectedly when my otherwise healthy three-year-old son, Jack, experienced a seizure that came completely out of the blue. What followed was the most challenging period I have faced since becoming a parent. In a few short weeks I experienced three ambulance trips, including one where Jack went unresponsive, multiple week-long hospital stays, and countless tests and procedures as doctors worked to understand what was happening as he got progressively worse. Jack has now been diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease which was causing swelling on his brain, optic nerve and spine as well as epilepsy.

Thankfully, whilst we still have lots of appointments and a long journey ahead, Jack is now home and getting better every day. Whilst he is still considered to be immune compromised and unable to do everything he used to, it is great to see the progress he has made. He even recently learnt to ride his bike without training wheels which was such an amazing achievement after what he has gone through over the past few months. While our journey is far from unique, it highlighted to me just how quickly life can change and how suddenly someone can find themselves in a caring role.

Balancing work and caring

Access to carers leave provided by Vicinity has allowed me to attend Jack's appointments and be there when he has needed me most, while flexibility in how and when I worked helped me continue contributing at work while supporting my family.

What support makes possible

It also reinforced the importance of having a supportive workplace. Throughout this experience, I was incredibly grateful for the support of my leaders and my colleagues who showed empathy and worked with me to navigate what was a very uncertain and difficult time.

This National Carers Week, I want people to remember that we never truly know what someone beside us may be managing behind the scenes. A colleague who leaves early, works flexibly or takes time away may be balancing significant caring responsibilities that aren’t immediately visible. Many people, including me, may not even think of themselves as carers. By definition I am a carer, but to me, I’m simply Jack’s mum.

Caring can look different for everyone and may not always be visible. Taking time to listen, checking in without making assumptions and supporting flexibility can help carers feel understood and able to manage the different parts of their lives.

Thank you to Leigh, Leah, Jane and Alex for sharing insights into their caring journeys this Carers Week.

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