Support in work

Accessing support in the workplace

Sometimes contractual rights can be more generous than your statutory rights, so it's worth looking into your terms of employment or policies at work to see if they offer any benefits. You could also ask your employer if they offer any specific support for carers.

To put your mind at ease while you're at work, it could also be worth considering getting some extra support whilst you're away, such as a care worker for the person you are looking after.

 

Telling your employer about your caring role

It is your choice whether to tell your employer about your caring role or not.

To find out whether there is a carer’s policy or any extra support for carers in your workplace, you could check your contract of employment, staff handbook, HR policies or letter of appointment.

If there is a carer’s policy then what support it will offer will depend on your workplace. Examples include:

• carer's leave (paid or unpaid)
• time off to accompany the person you are looking after to appointments (paid or unpaid)
• a carers' support group or contact.

 

Telling other staff about your caring role

Colleagues can be very supportive, and it may help simply to discuss your situation with someone you can trust at work.

Other colleagues may also have caring responsibilities, and sharing experiences may give you added motivation to talk to your employer about how you can be supported. This could even lead to the setting up of a support group or employee network.

 

Arranging extra support whilst you are in work

If you feel getting some additional support in place for the person you are looking after would help you balance working and caring, there are several paths you could choose from.

 

 

 

Assessments from your local council or trust

You and the person you are looking after could get assessments from your local council or health and social care trust (in Northern Ireland).

As assessment for the person you are looking after would look at their care and support needs. Some examples of the sort of support that might be an outcome of an assessment for the person you are looking after include: a care worker, a place at a day centre, meals delivered to their home, equipment and technology to help around the home or adaptations to the home.

Depending on the income and capital of the person you are looking after, they might need to contribute towards, or pay the full cost of, any support. For some further information on assessments for the person you are looking after, you can see our needs assessment pages.

An assessment for you as a carer would look at your caring role, and whether you need any support in this role. For some further information on this type of assessment, take a look at our carer's assessment pages.

 

Arranging care and support privately

If you would rather arrange care and support privately, then you could see if your local council/trust has a list of approved care providers in the area. You could also search on the following websites:

• Which? Care services directory
• in Scotland the Care Inspectorate regulates and inspects care services and has an online directory of registered care services