Leading and implementing organisational change.

Charlene Tait

I am a dedicated, experienced professional who has worked for over 30 years with and on behalf of autistic people and their families. This includes direct practice, service and project management, practice development, and strategic working at organisational and Scottish Government level. I have worked in academia and led on the delivery of the Modular Masters Autism Programme at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

 I am fortunate to have a wide network across the UK and beyond.

I have recently retired from my post as Deputy CEO at Scottish Autism, the largest provider of autism specific services in Scotland where I developed The Centre for Practice Innovation, the award winning “Right Click” programme and many more organisational initiatives.

 I have teamed up with some great colleagues to embark on a new way of working and hope to continue to work for a better and more equitable society for autistic people.

My journey beyond maths

I always wanted to be a teacher but unfortunately, maths was never my strong point. I have however managed to work my way into a career where education, in its broadest sense, has been a constant feature.

I have worked as a practitioner in social care, had a seven-year spell as an academic, with the remainder of my career being as a senior leader in Scottish Autism, the largest provider of autism services in Scotland.

I know how it feels to work in a social care environment with all the challenges that brings. As a leader, I know what it is like to feel stuck, to make difficult decisions, that are often unpopular and to recognise that change is needed, even if it takes a while to work out what that change should be.

I also know what it’s like to be part of a movement for societal change and to engage with politicians across the political spectrum. I have experienced the joys and the frustrations of negotiating that world, including delighting in the wins and despairing at the glacial pace of change.

I can bring pragmatism and creativity to your organisation as well as mentoring skills and empathy to support those of you who are leading and implementing organisational change.

I have a strong sense of social justice, a wicked sense of humour and unwavering commitment to making the world a fairer more equitable place for autistic and other neurodivergent people.

My failings in maths have resulted in a long and productive career in social care at organisational and policy level, I am ready to share that experience more widely and look forward to working with you.

The Wee Room Associates

Organisational change requires a range of skills and expertise. Our associates enable us to provide a breadth of experience, ensuring we can respond fully to your needs.

  • Associate

    I am both Norwegian and Scottish but see myself as a world citizen. I am passionate about being present in the world, interacting and engaging with family, friends and the community around me. I am fascinated by people, and particularly by understanding how to engage and interact in a way which helps another person flourish. I feel privileged to have been able to engage with autistic people and their families, and the communities that serve autistic people over many years.

    I have worked in Higher Education for the last 22 years, and was a teacher for a few years before that, working in mainstream, specialist and special school settings, including as an outreach teacher to support mainstream schools to develop their practice in educating autistic pupils.I have run the Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER) at University of Birmingham for many years, before moving on to the role of Head of Department of the Disability, Inclusion and Special Needs Department at University of Birmingham.

  • Associate

    Autism and neurodiversity featured quite often in our family discussions growing up. My mum was a speech and language therapist, so was my aunt. My grandpa was a doctor and he used to tell stories about autistic savant twins he saw in his practice. When I got to university to study psychology, we had lectures on autism and that is when my real interest was sparked.

    I was fortunate enough in the early stages of my career to learn from some of the leaders in the field of autism research and clinical practice at the Institute of Psychiatry in London and then the University of Oxford. I enjoyed my time as a researcher but I had this nagging voice saying that what we were doing wasn’t directly benefiting autistic people and their families. So, in 2008 I shifted tack and joined the charity sector. Looking back, this was a great decision and much of what I did over the subsequent ten years was to help shift the conversation so research to improve wellbeing and services was prioritised.

    Five years ago I moved with my wife and son from the UK to Germany. I’m that dedicated to autism I even met my wife at a work meeting in London! It has taken some adjusting and my German is still ‘nicht so gut’, but it has probably been one of the most enjoyable parts of my working life. I love the variety of what I do. I’ve been fortunate to work with large NGOs like the WHO and companies like IBM. National Charities in China, Hungary and Poland. Governments in Qatar, Latvia and the UK. I’m excited when we find a new partner to work with and particularly because I always learn something new. For me that is the surprising thing, that after nearly 30 years in the field I’m still learning.