Moments that matter: The secret life of a working carer

The 2021 census suggests there are 5.7 million unpaid carers across the UK, this is 9% of the population. At Nationwide, 7% of our employees have declared they are carers, which leads us to believe we have many more people, our hidden heroes, who are caring for a loved one and either haven’t realised they are carers or care for cultural or religious reasons.

Ben’s story

I have three children Freya, Rory and Gracie. My family is different because my daughters have a rare genetic disorders. My Eldest Freya aged 8 has Cornelia De-Lange Syndrome which is very rare effecting 1 in 25,000 births and my youngest Gracie aged 2 has extremely rare Pallister Kilian syndrome which effects 1 in 25million (roughly 300 people in the world diagnosed).

The odds of us having these two children are the same as winning the jackpot on the lottery twice, I know what you’re thinking… how lucky are we to have hit the jackpot twice.

I'm a father first but also a carer by default. My girls require 24-hour care. Their medical needs are extensive, they don’t eat, talk, walk and both require help with breathing and Gracie has epilepsy. Combined they have a drugs chart in double figures.

Being a carer for two disabled children is a challenge for many reasons but ultimately is hugely rewarding as the small steps feel like leaps.

Coming to work at Nationwide provides me with a focus and purpose. I’ve had some wonderful managers around me who’ve supported myself and my family in my time of need. They’ve been flexible with working hours, allowing me time to support my family, and made sure I maintain a good work-life balance.

At the beginning of this year, my youngest was in intensive care for couple of months. During this time my colleagues and my manager at the time would always keep a constant check on me, to see if I was coping alright.

I was allowed the flexibility of getting to work a little bit later so that I could make sure my other children were organised and ready for school and happy in themselves. Having the support of my colleagues to be able to do this made such a difference to me being able to survive through the difficult periods.

At Nationwide we have a range of benefits and a supportive Working Carers Network. You can learn more about the wide range of benefits we offer here.