The Hidden Juggle: Work, Parenting and Neurodiversity
Hosted by the Parents & Carers and Disability & Neurodiversity Committees, this session brings together parents, professionals and employers to explore the realities of balancing work while supporting a neurodivergent child. Combining lived experience, professional expertise and employer insight, the session will create an open and supportive space to better understand the challenges families face—and what meaningful support can look like in practice.
Our speakers bring a powerful mix of perspectives, including lived experience, specialist expertise in SEND and family support, and senior leadership experience in driving neuroinclusive practice across education, public services and the workplace—locally, nationally and globally.
Together, the panel will explore:
- The realities of balancing work, caring responsibilities and, for some, their own neurodivergence
- The complexities of diagnosis, waiting times and navigating support systems
- Challenges across education, healthcare and employment, and how these intersect for families
- What effective, neuroinclusive workplaces look like in practice
Attendees will leave with:
- Greater confidence in navigating next steps, support pathways and conversations with professionals
- Practical tools, resources and signposting to help manage day-to-day challenges
- Insight into what meaningful employer support looks like and how to advocate for it
This session is for:
- Working parents and carers of neurodivergent children
- Employers, managers and HR professionals looking to better support their people
- Anyone interested in neurodiversity, inclusion and creating more supportive workplaces
About the Speakers:
Kirsty Collin is Global Head of CRM and Lead of Women at Gleeds, where she is actively involved in championing inclusion, particularly for women, working parents and neurodivergent individuals.
Kirsty brings both a workplace and client‑side perspective to conversations about how work is designed, experienced and delivered.
Since becoming a mother in 2010, Kirsty has navigated first‑hand the complexities of balancing career and parenthood, a journey further shaped in recent years by discovering her own neurodivergence and her children’s. These experiences have deepened her commitment to creating more inclusive workplace cultures that better reflect the realities faced by both employees and clients.
Kirsty believes that workplaces still aren’t designed with parents or neurodivergent minds in mind, and that honest conversations about the hidden and visible juggle are essential for meaningful, lasting change.
Georgina joined Brown Shipley in 2021 as a client Director and has over 18 years experience of working with High Net Worth clients across the North West. Georgina works with business owners to help them grow their personal wealth using Investment services and financial planning. Brown Shipley is a UK Private bank founded more than two centuries ago and is part of a group of Boutique private banks and wealth managers that operate over 50 European cities.
Outside of work Georgina is a parent to two children, her eldest daughter is neurodivergent and has an Education Health and Care plan. Having navigated the complexities of the system Georgina wants to share her experiences to help other parents who find themselves in a similar situation. She has also chaired the board of her local primary school for the last 3 years in a voluntary capacity.
A SEND specialist with over 15 years of experience across mainstream and specialist settings, she supports schools, trusts, and fostering agencies to strengthen inclusive provision. As a qualified SENCo and senior leader, she has led departments, shaped policy, delivered training, and created SEMH interventions that improve outcomes for children and young people. Founder of Inspire 321, she also speaks widely on SEND, leadership, and whole-school inclusion.
Claire Baits MA is an Accredited Play Therapist, trainee Clinical Supervisor and founder of Changing Path Therapeutic Services, with over 35 years’ experience supporting children and families. She specialises in neurodiversity, trauma and family life, using creative arts, play and psychoeducation to help children express experiences and parents feel less overwhelmed. Claire also offers reflective supervision and contributes to national children’s mental health policy through the Child Mental Health Charter Committee.
Lorna is a seasoned DE&I professional, having worked across the charity and professional services sector. Lorna established the first UK Neuro-Diverse Centre of Excellence at EY. This included leading a neurodivergent team into professional services, establishing team ways of working, and designing and implementing their award-winning recruitment process. She has shared these experiences in many talks and with clients to improve their neuro-inclusion.
Lorna now leads Kennedys’ UK and EMEA DE&I team, combining her specialist neurodiversity knowledge from EY with extensive DE&I experience across all areas. She is experienced in leading culture change and implementing strategies across organisations. She also really enjoys leading staff networks and supporting building new ones, including EY’s Social Mobility Network and Kennedys DANDI network (Disability and Neurodiversity Discussion for Impact).
Interested In The Event?
If you’re interested in attending, you can book online here.
For any further enquires about this event, contact [email protected]
