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There really is nothing better than seeing people use their vast accomplishments to help
others, sharing the fruits of their endeavours with those that are most vulnerable. After reading law at Oxford, becoming a parliamentary researcher for an MP, and later qualifying as a barrister who represented refugees, Katie Ghose left her career path behind to make her mark on the charity sector.
She has since worked for a myriad of charities such as the British Institute for Human Rights, Women’s Aid, and her current role as the chief executive of KIDS. Ghose continues to make the most out of her background in law to bring about systemic change, as she lays out in her book, Beyond the Courtroom: A Lawyer’s Guide to Campaigning.
GoInspire had the privilege of discussing the beginnings of Ghose’s career and finding out what has driven her to fight for those without a voice.
GI: What is KIDS, how is it run as a charity?
KG: KIDS is a national charity, founded in 1970, that provides a wide range of services to disabled children, young people and their families in England. We support children from babies through to young adults, whatever their disability. Our services include drop-in crèches and nurseries for the under 5s, youth clubs, short breaks, and residential stays for young adults.
KIDS works with around 12,000 disabled children, young people and family members each year across England; during 2021 we delivered over 190,000 hours of support. We are continually developing our expertise and sharing it with others. We are proud of our achievements but know how far there is to go before every disabled child and young person leads a fulfilled life and families are supported at every stage.
GI: Can you tell us about your early career which led you to becoming the chief executive of KIDS?
KG: My first job was in Parliament, and helping an MP’s constituents with immigration queries sparked an interest in this area of law. After working as a parliamentary lobbyist for a national charity, I qualified as a barrister and represented refugees. But campaigning for systemic change was my passion and I’ve worked for charities ever since, helping them to develop their voice and influence.
My first chief executive role was at the British Institute of Human Rights, where we worked to promote the rights of disabled people. Over a decade later, this chimes strongly with the KIDS ethos and our new vision of a society where disabled children, young people and their families enjoy equal rights and opportunities.
GI: How would you describe your career? What would a normal day look like for you?
KG: A ‘normal day’ doesn’t really exist; every day is different, which is the joy of the job. Before Covid, I spent a wonderful evening at one of our pioneering Adventure Playgrounds in London, chatting and dancing with a group of disabled young service users. They had travelled for miles to be part of a safe, friendly environment where they can enjoy a meal together, learn new skills and be themselves. Just yesterday I got to meet our incredible team in Camden, London, hearing about the challenges the families we work with are facing, how isolating this can be and the difference our services make. Hearing about the joy and the struggles is part of the charity CEO’s day.
Most days mix internal and external tasks, so working with colleagues on breaking strategic goals down to deliverable tasks alongside presenting research to civil servants, politicians, or funders. After working remotely due to Covid, I’m now out and about, visiting colleagues in our services and connecting with other organisations to find partnerships so that together we can reach more disabled children and young people.
GI: What drives you in this line of work?
KG: Citizens Advice was my first charity role and their twin aims inspired me: practical support and policy influence. This is still what drives me: changing systems based on evidence from the frontline of what really makes a difference in people’s lives. Excitingly, we have now adopted this approach at KIDS. Our new strategy has two aims: 1) to provide disabled children, young people, and their families with practical, life-changing and creative support and 2) to empower disabled children and young people, to amplify their voices and to champion their rights.
Our early-years work at KIDS is a good example of this combined approach. We are delivering practical work with the under 5s and their families ‘on the ground’ and we are part of strategic alliances to make the whole system work better, because we know that early help makes all the difference. On my last visit to a KIDS creche I met Molly (age 4) and her mum, Jane (not their real names). Molly and I looked at dinosaur books together while her mum sat on the edge of the carpet – we chatted a little.
They had been found when Molly was a baby, living in appalling conditions. Jane, who has a learning disability, was doing her utmost as a mother but was completely on her own. When Molly came to KIDS, she was experiencing significant delays to her development and couldn’t walk. Our staff provided therapies, the chance to play with children and helped Jane with practical tips for looking after herself and her little one.
When I met them, Molly was smiling and slowly walking across the room and her mum was looking forward with confidence to Molly’s first day at nursery school. These are the life-changing stories that motivate me and provide us with the evidence of what works to improve the system for everyone.
GI: What challenges have you faced outside of KIDS? Have recent events made it tougher to be a chief executive?
KG: It was a challenge to be overseeing the charity’s response to a crisis just a few months into the role but my team were amazing and very adaptive to the needs of disabled children, young people and their families, as well as the resources we could deploy to meet the challenge. Judging when and how to move from Covid crisis response to longer term planning was another challenge.
I’m not sure if it’s any tougher now to be a chief executive– I feel lucky to have the role I do and excited about our ambitions to work with disabled children and young people to amplify their voices - the future is theirs to shape. But I’m also conscious of the toll Covid has taken on our staff who have worked tirelessly for years now to ‘keep the show on the road’. A challenge now is how to engage everyone in a conversation about the pace of change required to keep adapting to families’ needs.
GI: You also have a background in politics and law, how did you get into those fields?
KG: Law and politics have also been intertwined. My mum encouraged me to do law as a vocational degree, but straight afterwards I grabbed the chance to study abroad for a Masters in Political Science. I love politics and believe that we need to open it up so that everyone sees it as something for them, from parish councillor to PM. I’m glad I put myself forward to be a parliamentary candidate. I didn’t succeed in being elected but I gave it my best shot and met some fantastic people along the way.
GI: Do you have any advice for women looking to go into any of these areas?
KG: Don’t hang on for the perfect opportunity - dive in and do something. You will learn and grow and it will open a door to another avenue. Being a lawyer wasn’t right for me long-term but the skills and training I acquired have served me well in every role since. And I pooled my legal and political interests in my book Beyond the Courtroom: A Lawyer’s Guide to Campaigning. And DON’T wait till you have everything on the job description (plenty of men don’t!) to put yourself forward for an opportunity.
GI: What are some of your proudest accomplishments at KIDS, Women’s Aid or any other milestones in your career? How about outside of work?
KG: I am proud of the project to pioneer the UK’s first Citizens’ Assemblies in 2015. I collaborated with academics, civil society groups and many others to make these happen. We brought together a representative sample of citizens in a pilot project to discuss how to enliven local democracy. At the heart of citizens’ assemblies is the simple idea that every one of us has something to contribute - regardless of background or formal education. It’s achieved by using random selection (instead of relying on people who already have a strong voice to put themselves forward). Now, citizens’ assemblies are becoming more mainstream which is a joy to see.
Now I’m looking forward to bringing my passion for every voice to be heard into our work at KIDS. KIDS has broken new ground in supporting young people to raise disability awareness among decision-makers and to influence their policy and practice. Already, the charity directly connects young disabled people to those who are making decisions about how and when they will receive support.
We’re also consulting young people on the design of a new online hub for young people with disabilities and special educational needs to get information, advice, to connect with their peers, and get direct support from KIDS. And we’re working on a new programme to empower disabled young people to campaign for change. It’s an exciting time for me and my team!
It was an honour to speak to the wonderful Katie! Thank you from the Go Inspire team.
To see more information about KIDS visit: https://www.kids.org.uk/
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