I have always had the ability to connect with people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. As a result, teaching seemed a natural career choice. During my tenure as an educator, I was determined to encourage and empower my students to become life-long learners by developing a quick rapport which organically developed into deep and trusting relationships.

After twenty years as a middle school teacher – and a benign tumour that knocked me out of my comfort zone -I decided it was time for a career change. During a stay in hospital, I realised working with older people would be my next path. I believe their wisdom, humour, insights, and experiences are currently undervalued and I want to change that at a very personal level.

In my spare time, I can be found reading a book, riding a bike, gardening and spending quality time with my two beautiful sons and very supportive husband. I have a passion for photography and travel and I am deeply involved in my community and my boys’ schools, whether it is reading in my sons’ classes or cheering them on from the sidelines at a baseball or hockey game.

I was born in Brazil and moved to Australia at the age of nine with my single-parent mother. She believed, as do I, that Australia is the land of opportunity and wanted only the very best for me. After completing my VCE and a gap year overseas, one day I walked into a nursing home in Windsor and ended up volunteering my time painting nails, doing hair and bringing smiles to the women I met. I have always had a special place in my heart for older people and it was this experience that led me to choose a career in Aged Care.

I have worked in the Aged Care, Physical Disabilities and Children with Disabilities sectors for over 20 years both here and in the UK where I spent more than seven years working for social services. I developed a program which assists children with disabilities to navigate the transitional period of moving into the adult sector of social services. This provided me the opportunity to work with people from all walks of life, and it has truly been an honour to work in this industry.

My husband and mother have always supported me and my decisions – they are my rocks. Spending time with my family, including two beautiful sons, and sharing Mediterranean and Brazilian dishes with family and friends, brings me great joy. I am passionate about cooking and home projects. I also appreciate the colourful sunsets at the magnificent Mordialloc Beach.

“Charlotte has been amazing! Her ability to connect with people is fantastic and her proactive “no problem cannot be solved” attitude means that she gets the job done with no fuss at all.”
Angela Flood
Very Special Kids

“I have found Charlotte to be a great carer. Charlotte cared for my wife until she had to go into permanent care. During her time with us she was extremely attentive to my wife’s needs. She listened to our requests and was not only a carer, but also a friend. I have no hesitation in recommending Charlotte to anyone who needs care in their home.”
Bob Pierce
Retired

“Charlotte is helping me with things I struggle with. She pushes me to do things that get me out of my comfort zone. Charlotte treats me with respect and as an equal.“
Craig V.
A Dad of Three

“She is humorous, approachable and very knowledgeable. Teachers really love her and she has an easy style about her.”
Andrea Dabbs Partsafras
Board President at The Valley School of Southern Oregon

“Now that I have moved on to running my family’s business, I still use many of the skills I learned from Charlotte today in the corporate world, especially collaborating with others, organization and the importance of clear communication. She is a joy to work with and I feel so lucky to have had her as a mentor and friend during my teaching career.”
Susie Quesada
President at Ramar Foods

“Charlotte is a dedicated, compassionate and very effective teacher. Her classes are organized and cheerful environments where students thrive educationally and emotionally. She has excellent skills in facilitating meetings and following through with decisions made. I have valued her integrity and support as a leader on our staff and as a partner in reaching our shared students and their families.”
Mary West
Teacher at San Lorenzo Unified School District

“Andrea builds strong communication links, encouraging her clients to be more independent. She has a pleasant and professional manner about her and treats her clients with genuine love and affection.”
Mrs Romaldina Fernandes
Park Avenue Day Centre

“Andrea treats her clients like any other ordinary adult, encouraging them to be more independent, example enrolling them in the skills of life course. Andrea, promotes an interesting and lively environment, introducing arts and craft activities ( e.g, pottery, cooking) and physical activities such as yoga, dancing and swimming.”
Mrs Samantha Vind
Wimbledon Council

“Strong work ethic and professionalism describe Andrea. She set up a project working with young people to improve their quality of life. She identified her clients’ needs and put together a plan of care. Due to her attention to detail and hard work, her clients were able to access community based activities, socialise with people from different cultures and backgrounds and were able to move on to live a more independent lifestyle.“
Mrs Ghis Lewis
Senior Support Officer at Independent and Wellbeing Service