Care, confidence and the path back to employment.

In this episode of The Care Break, Rosemary is joined by Amy Lavelle from Care Alliance Ireland to explore the practical and emotional challenges carers face when returning to work and the actions that make a meaningful difference.

Amy has numerous family members who require additional support and has gained an understanding of the importance of external support for family carers. Since 2021, Amy has worked with Care Alliance Ireland within their employment support projects for family carers. The aim of these projects is to offer individual and holistic supports to family carers who are returning to employment after a period of full-time care or alongside their current caring role.

In this episode we explore:

- the loss of confidence many carers experience,

- the barriers created by rigid job design

- why caring is skilled work, even when it isn't formally recognised.

- the importance of reaching out for support as an employer or as an carer who wants to return to work.

Social Links

The Care Advocate website: www.thecareadvocate.ie

Follow the Care Advocate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-care-advocate

Follow Rosemary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemary-daynes-kearney

Guest Details

If you are a family carer returning to employment or education or an employer seeking advice on family carer needs, you can contact Amy by email amy@carealliance.ie or phone 085 2683589.

A practical look at caring responsibilities, intermittent absence, and early intervention in the workplace.

In this episode of The Care Break, Rosemary speaks with HR and workplace resolution specialist Louisa Meehan about the realities of family caring and work, and the threads that often go unnoticed in workplace conversations.

Louisa unpacks the difference between caring responsibilities and being a family carer, explaining how this gap in understanding shapes everything from communication to absenteeism. She also explores why intermittent absence is one of the biggest operational challenges for employers, and how hidden caring can quietly affect performance, wellbeing, and workplace culture.

Together, they talk about the emotional load carers carry, the risk of late disclosure, and the reality of capacity and career progression during intense caring periods. The conversation is honest, practical and grounded in what HR leaders, managers and working carers experience every day.

In this episode, we explore:
- The distinction between “caring responsibilities” and being a family carer

- Why intermittent absence is often the real operational challenge

- The risks when caring stays hidden until performance conversations begin
- What support is realistic for employers to offer and what isn’t
- The emotional weight of caring and the need for early, honest communication
- Why early intervention protects both employees and organisations
- How capacity, progression, and wellbeing intersect during caring periods

This episode unpicks a complex issue thread by thread, from workplace wellbeing and employee support to HR leadership, communication and the expectations placed on working carers.

Take a short break with us as we look at what really happens when caring and work overlap.

Social links:

The Care Advocate website: www.thecareadvocate.ie

Follow the Care Advocate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-care-advocate

Follow Rosemary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemary-daynes-kearney

Guest Details:

Follow Louisa:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisameehan

Woodview HRM

http://www.woodviewhrm.com/

In this episode of The Care Break, Rosemary is joined by Jean Evans to explore the role connection plays in sustaining confidence, adaptability and engagement with work over time. Drawing on Jean’s lived experience and professional insight, the conversation examines how caring and career interruption can reduce confidence, and how connection helps rebuild it.

This episode shows that connection underpins confidence, visibility and opportunity at work particularly during periods of caring and life disruption.

Connection supports:

• confidence and self-belief
• negotiation and boundary-setting
• staying visible and engaged with work
• resilience during caring and career interruption

The conversation also considers what this means for workplaces, and how supporting connection can help people remain engaged with work through periods of change.

Social Links:

The Care Advocate website: www.thecareadvocate.ie

Follow the Care Advocate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-care-advocate

Follow Rosemary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemary-daynes-kearney

Guest Links

Jean Evans

Website: www.networkme.ie

Follow Jean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanevans-thenetworkingarchitect/