Working with carers Working carers and employers Supporting Employers of Carers Our “Carer Friendly Employer project” concentrates on supporting Employers. We work with employers in order to encourage them to maintain Carers in employment and support the Carers among their workforce. Our work began as a pilot project funded by the Department of Health, Government Equalities Office & the Department for Work & Pensions in collaboration with Northamptonshire County Council. Let us help you show your staff how much they are valued We offer: A face to face meeting to develop a personalised approach to support your Carers In-house events to promote Carers Week and Carers Rights Day Business cards, posters and resources for Carers enabling them to contact Northamptonshire Carers and access wider support E-learning and training for Line Managers - Supporting Carers at Work and Raising Awareness of Carers Wellbeing training Mentoring using Clarity 4D County recognition of being a Business Supporting Its Carers Opportunities to share ideas and resources with other like-minded organisations Access to all the specialist services Northamptonshire Carers offers to Carers including free Carers Assessments carried out in your workplaceCarer Friendly Employer Accreditation Scheme Evidence shows that caring can cause ill health, poverty and social isolation. When caring is intensive and unsupported people can struggle to hold down a job and carry out their usual daily activities. Sign up to demonstrate your commitment to supporting employees who provide care and support for elderly or disabled relatives Employers who look after the Carers in their workforce will benefit by attracting and supporting staff – with better staff retention, better morale and higher productivity This accreditation scheme aims to raise awareness about the growing number of working Carers (currently estimated to be 1 in 9 and rising) and give recognition to those employers who support Carers in their workforce. Level Action required to qualify Results of qualification Level 1 Meet with Carer Friendly Employer team Commit to first action e.g. staff marketplace event; register with Employers for Carers; E-learning for staff; Working Carer film shared Carer Friendly Employer logo (which can be used on your headed paper and website) Listing on Northamptonshire Carers website as a Carer Friendly Employer Level 2 Action from above has taken place, Work towards the following being undertaken: Carers’ Network with Staff Lead Wellbeing Charter with Carers included Carer policy or procedures review Ongoing support from Northamptonshire Carers. Membership of Employers Peer Support Group Level 3 Evidence of activity over and above or community engagement from organisation e.g. offering interview or work experience opportunity for a Carer who is seeking to return to work; ongoing additional support Evidence / Outcomes from staff that the support has made a difference Entry to the Jane Roebuck Annual Carers Awards for excellence Level 4 Introducing and/or supporting businesses and employers to become Carer Friendly Achievement of a local development helping their support of working Carers As above Interested? For more information, please contact us or you can register to be a carer-friendly employer. Useful Information Skills for Care Carers Matter, supporting employers, organisations and staff to better support Carers – Resources and guidance' ACAS Managing people guide & Reasonable adjustments information Employers for Carers (EfC) Starting & Sustaining a Carers' Network CIPD/Simply Health Managing Absence report Carers UK Supporting carers in your workforce - An employer’s guide Who Cares Wins The Social and Business Benefits of Supporting Working Carers Gateshead Carers Association Gateshead Carers infographics Walking the Tightrope Age UK article Department of Work & Pensions article DWP Fuller Working Lives article Nationwide Building Society Caring for the Carers People’s Postcode Trust is a grant-giving charity funded entirely by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Our project received £19,899 from the Trust to encourage businesses to support staff who are also unpaid Carers. Working together to offer resources, embed training and enable ongoing networks. Case studies DHL The Health and Safety Manager felt that there was so much focus on safety and they seemed to forget the “health” part. With this in mind the focus of 2017 was going to be their Colleague’s Wellbeing. To kick this off, it was decided to host a “wellbeing” event for all of the colleagues to attend in the form of a market stall event and they invited various groups to attend that it was felt could improve colleague wellbeing. The event was held in January as we felt people are enthusiastic about making changes in the New Year and it was given a strapline of “New Year, New You”. The Market stalls included Northamptonshire Carers who provide information and support for the counties unpaid Carers and carried out Carers Assessments during the course of the day. Various organisations also attended which covered many aspects, such as smoking cessation, weight control, financial help, social and emotional support, alcohol awareness and housing and education, there was promotion of physical activity, Quorn foods to promote healthy eating and Prostate Cancer UK. Overall the day was a great success with positive feedback from all parties, especially the colleagues with several signing up to stop smoking, free gym sessions, many carer referrals and a few alcohol awareness and weight control wake up calls, especially just after the festive period. The intension is to hold these events on average 3 times per year with opportunity for colleagues to have a Carers Assessment within the work environment. Nationwide The Supporting Working Carers team were approached by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager from a large financial institution to provide an opportunity for their staff to gain support around the issues of working and caring for someone else. The plan was to provide an In-house support network for employees as well as regular information and advice sessions. Initially a presentation was given to employees with a brief consultation questionnaire being circulated. Staff were then invited to provide details to enable Northamptonshire Carers to register them on the database and to have an initial conversation. Arrangements were made to conduct Carers Assessments within the work environment. Future plans are for a regular assessment sessions to take place where employees can pre book to have a Carers Assessment during their working hours. Carer 1 contacted us via an in-house information session, currently caring for 1 of her children who has a diagnosed hearing loss. Carer 1 was concerned that communicating with this child will become increasingly more difficult as she got older and requested a Carers Assessment during discussions it became clear that the British Sign Language Course that would enable her to start the communication process. As part of the assessment process Carers can be provided with a Direct Payment for services that are not commissioned by Northamptonshire County Council. Carer 1 has requested £305.00 to pay for course tuition fees and is awaiting the outcome. Carer 2 has been known to the organisation for some years. Carer 2 took redundancy to create a Social Enterprise unfortunately due to ill health had to take time out, during a general conversation the Building Better Opportunities project was mentioned as a possible option to enable a return to work. Accessing C.V writing support or training courses that would allow Carer 2 to gain the necessary skills to promote and manage her business. Manage Cookie Preferences