New forum for employers to support carers in workforce

A core leadership group including BT, Unum Provident and Listawood will work with the national charity Carers UK to develop a service for employers seeking to support the one in every seven members of the UK workforce who are also carers.  

The new membership forum is for employers who want to support the people in their workforce who are carers. Its purpose will be to:

• Identify and promote the business benefits of supporting carers in the workplace.
• Influence employment policy and practice to create a culture which supports carers in and into work.
• Work with Government to deliver the commitments promised in the National Strategy for Carers.

This comes at a critical time with the launch of the Government's new National Carers Strategy on Tuesday 10th June. The Strategy contains a number of measures which will help carers balance caring with paid work with new investment worth £38m. It also describes how employers have a key role to play in supporting carers through offering flexibility and understanding.

In particular the Strategy promises:

• An awareness raising campaign to ensure that carers, the people they support and employers are aware of the right to request flexible working and the benefits it can bring.
• A review of the definition of ‘carer’ for the right to request flexible working.
• The Government will work with business to produce a good practice guide for employers on the benefits of employing carers.
• To ensure that skills training is provided in a flexible manner so that it is accessible for carers.
• Changes to Jobcentre Plus to ensure it provides a better service to carers.

Imelda Redmond, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:

“Currently 1 in 5 carers give up work to care, but in a competitive world we cannot afford to have men and women who want to work unable to carry on. Employers who support carers in their workforce will be rewarded with the loyalty and hard work of a talented group of people. Employers for Carers will show them how to do this.”

Caroline Waters, Director of People and Policy at BT, said:

“In BT’s experience, carers are a valued part of the workforce and supporting them brings bottom line benefits, as well as being the right thing to do. Employers for Carers will lead the way in promoting this message and in offering practical solutions to employers, big and small, who are seeking to support carers in and into work”.

The official launch of Employers for Carers will be held on Thursday 12th June, 8:30-9:30am at the House of Commons. It will be hosted by Ivan Lewis MP, Minister for Carers, and will be attended by representatives from a number of major employers and representatives from the DWP and Jobcentre Plus.

ENDS

For more information, or if you would like to attend the breakfast launch on Thursday, please contact Tracey Thompson or Caroline Beswick on 020 8786 3860 / tracey.thompson@trinitypr.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

1. The new Strategy ‘Carers at the heart of 21st Century families and communities’ can be downloaded from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/SocialCare/Deliveringadultsocialcare/Carers/NewDealforCarers/index.htm  

2. For more information about Employers for Carers and the business case for supporting carers in the workplace, visit http://www.carersuk.org/Employersforcarers

3. There are 6 million carers in the UK. The value of the unpaid care they provide is £87 billion each year. With 4.4 million carers of working age, 3 million of whom are currently juggling work and care, caring is a key issue affecting employers and business.

4. Carers UK is the leading campaigning, policy and information organisation of and for carers. Carers UK continues to make a difference to carers' lives by: campaigning for a better deal for carers; informing carers of their rights and what help is available; training and advising professionals who work with carers; working across the UK through its membership and networks of branches and affiliates. For more information, visit www.carersuk.org or for advice on your caring situation call CarersLine on T. 0808 808 7777.

5. Carers of adults have been entitled to request flexible working since April 2007. Initial evidence suggests the right is working well and that 9 out of 10 requests are accepted (CBI figures) but awareness of the right is still low. In addition, around 20% of carers are excluded (those not living with the person they care for or not a close relative).

6. Key sections from the Strategy relating to employment include:

            1.22     Employers also have a key role to play in recognising the valuable contribution those with caring responsibilities can continue to make to the workplace and the economy. By acknowledging the specific needs of carers,             employers can retain their experiences staff, and avoid the costs of recruiting and             training new employees – as well as increasing employee loyalty. This has the       added benefit of allowing the carer to maintain their current and future income        and enabling a life outside caring.

            4.27     The role of the employer, small, medium and large, is crucial in enabling a             carer to combine paid work and caring. It is not just the offer of flexible working           but recognition of the specific needs of carers, at work, such as access to a     telephone if the person they support needs to call them or an understanding that   at certain times the carer may have to leave suddenly.  

            4.28     Currently, more than 3 million people – one in seven of the workforce in      the UK – juggle the responsibilities of caring and paid employment and this is in            part due to the flexibility that not just large but also small and medium employers    provide for their employees.