Tim's story


I'd been working freelance as a Financial Controller for many years, roughly 4 years ago I had taken a short planned break to deal with some private issues. Just when I was considering looking for a new role several tragedies affected my family, over a period of 2 and a half years.


My mother became terminally ill requiring regular care and support for about 7 months before she faded away, my father-in-law passed away and 2 cousins who I was very close to both died in their 50s. Then my brother had a serious car accident that resulted in him losing his licence for 6 months, so he became quite dependent on me in that period.

Also supporting the family whilst they dealt with their individual emotions along with coping with my own grief plus the challenge of dealing with complex estates and geographically dispersed properties. I found, emotionally or practically, neither the time to look for a new role or the ability to devote the time to make it a success, so I decided it would be more sensible to take a career break. But it went on much longer than I originally envisaged. In the end, it was just over 3 years before I sorted out all the various estates and was in a position where I felt able to consider returning to work.

This also gave me the opportunity to reflect and consider what was important in my life, particularly as I was a similar age at which my cousins above and my own father died. In the end I decided I was going to be best served by my going back to work. I went after new contracts, but recruiters said that my age and the career break would work against me.

how caba helped me

Around this time, I contacted caba to get some help with how I was presenting my services. I knew that they could help with CVs, networking and interview skills, and believed it made sense to get their input. They were fantastic and put me in touch with 2 different coaches. One really helped me re-frame my job search, define what I can offer and evolve my online presence, while the other helped me with my general self-confidence.

As a result, I was able to feel more comfortable about my age, and view myself positively as an older and more experienced employee. I remembered what I had to offer and it made me feel stronger. I went on some interviews and worked through the feedback from those with my coach. It reaffirmed my belief that I was receptive to new ideas, could use criticism constructively and resulted in enhancing my interview techniques.

I ended up with 2 job offers on the table, and I chose the one that I thought would best help me transition back into the workplace. Now I'm in a full-time post as a Financial Controller and it's a really interesting role. caba were hugely helpful in my return to work and supportive in more ways than I could have imagined.

are you eligible for caba's services?

caba supports the wellbeing of past and present ICAEW members, ACA students, ICAEW staff members, and their spouses, partners and children up to the age of 25. Our support is free, impartial and strictly confidential. For advice, information and support please click on the button below.

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find out more about our financial health services

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You can access our self-help content for financial advice

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we offer a range of training and events that can help your career

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your questions answered 

Who is eligible for support?

We support past and present members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW), ACA students, ICAEW staff members, and the family and carers of members and students. 

  1. No matter where your career takes you, past and present members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England Wales (ICAEW) are eligible for caba’s services for life, even if you change your career and leave accountancy 
  2. ACA students (ICAEW Provisional Members) who are either an active student or have been an active student within the last three years are eligible for caba's services 
  3. Past and present staff members of the ICAEW or caba are eligible for caba's services for life, even if you leave either organisation. Please note, for former employees, our financial support is only available to those who have had five years continuous employment with either organisation 
  4. Family members and carers of either an eligible past or present ICAEW member, ACA student or past or present employee of the ICAEW or caba are eligible for caba's support. We define a family member as a: 
    1. spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner 
    2. widow, widower or surviving civil partner who has not remarried or cohabiting with a partner 
    3. divorced spouse or civil partner who has not remarried or cohabiting with a partner 
    4. child aged up to 25. Please note, children aged between 16 and 25 are not eligible for individual financial support 
    5. any other person who is dependent on the eligible individual supporting them financially or are reliant on the eligible individual’s care 
    6. any other person on whom the eligible individual is reliant, either financially or for care 

You can find out more about our available support both in the UK and around the world on our support we offer page and by using our interactive eligibility tool

Are your services means-tested?

If you need financial support, we carry out a means test where we consider income, expenditure, capital and assets.  

*Please note none of our other services are means-tested. 

I’m an accountant, but not a member of ICAEW, can you still help?

Unfortunately not. We only support past and present ICAEW members, their carers and their families. If we are unable to support you, where possible we will point you to help elsewhere.

caba has supported me in the past; can I receive support from caba again?

We understand that circumstances change. If we’ve helped you in the past there’s no reason why we can’t help you again. You can contact us at any time. Please call us if you need our help.

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