1. Supporting Working Carers

2. Carers ……
Carers provide unpaid care by looking after an ill, frail or disabled family member, friend or partner.
It could be a few hours a week or around the clock, in their own home or down a motorway.

3. What is caring? Doing their cleaning Cooking for them
It’s not just about taking care of someone while they are ill
It includes many things such as
Doing their cleaning
Cooking for them
Helping with personal carer such as washing and dressing
Giving them their medication

4. Caring can affect all aspects of the carers life, their physical and mental health, their financial situation, work and relationships

5. QUIZ
370, 000 Census figures
Carer Awareness Training .

6. Carers - the Facts 6 million + carers in UK
1 in 8 of the adult population
370,000+ in Wales
90,000 carers in Wales care for more than 50 hours a week
175,000+ children across the UK
370, 000 Census figures
Carer Awareness Training .

7. Carers - The Facts 3 million carers combine work and care
26% of carers working full time also provide 20+ hours of care
6 out of 10 carers, providing substantial levels of care, have given up work
7 out of 10 carers are financially worse off since becoming a carer
In Wales 123,000 carers each year come in or out of caring
Carers who provide high levels of care are twice as likely to suffer ill health as non carers
Carer Awareness Training

8. Carer Awareness Training
Age range of the carer population
Carer Awareness Training

9. Carer Awareness Training
Carers - The Facts
Unpaid family carers provide 96% of annual care in Wales, statutory services only provide 4% of care.
The care that they provide saves the Welsh economy £8.1. billion per year if the care they provide their loved ones had to be provided by the nation.
Carer Awareness Training

10. Carer Awareness Training
Value of unpaid care provided in the UK
WG DATA: 96% of annual care in Wales provided by unpaid carers
4% by statutory & independent providers
Carer Awareness Training

11. Carers - The Future
3 out of 5 people will provide care at some time in their lives
By 2032 there could be 9.1 million carers
The chances of a year old becoming a carer will increase by 88%
Carer Awareness Training

12. is a society which respects, values and supports carers
Our vision
is a society which respects, values and supports carers

13. Carer Awareness Training
What do carers need?
Recognition
Information
Financial Help
Support services
Understanding employers
Range of options for flexible respite care
Carer Awareness Training

14. Carer Awareness Training
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 – a brief overview
The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force on 6th April 2016 and is intended to transform the way social services are delivered
The Act includes significant changes for carers that include new legal rights for them and new duties on local authorities
Carer Awareness Training

15. The Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995
The new Act replaces almost all existing community care legislation including:
The Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995
The Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000
The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004
The Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010
Carer Awareness Training

16. The Duty to Assess (Carers)
A local authority must offer an assessment to:
Any carer where it appears to the authority that the carer may have needs for support
This is an important change, as previously a carer could only request an assessment

17. The Duty to Assess (Carers)
The duty is triggered if it appears to the local authority that a carer may have needs for support
The duty to assess applies regardless of the authority’s view of the level of support the carer needs or the financial resources he or she has or the financial resources of the person needing care

18. The Duty to Assess (Carers)
An assessment of a carer must include:
The extent to which the carer is able and willing to provide the care and to continue to provide the care
The outcomes the carer wishes to achieve
The local authority must involve the carer and where feasible the person for whom the carer provides or intends to provide care in the assessment

19. The Duty to Assess (Carers)
An assessment of a carer must also have regard to:
Whether the carer wishes to work and whether they are participating or wish to participate in education, training, or leisure activities
An individual must feel that they are an equal partner in their relationship with professionals

20. Meeting Needs
A carer has an enforceable right to support from the local authority where a carer meets the eligibility criteria
The authority then has a legal duty to arrange support via a support plan

23. Supporting Working Carers

24. Working carers – a definition
Carers are employees with significant caring responsibilities that have a substantial impact on their working lives. These employees are responsible for the care and support of disabled, elderly or sick partners, relatives or friends who are unable to care for themselves.
(Definition used by Employers for Carers)

25. What can you do to support carers?
Workshop

26. Legal rights for carers
Right to time off in emergencies for care for dependants
Right to request flexible working
Parental and shared parental leave (April 2015)
Right not to be discriminated against or harassed because of association with disability or age (Equality Act 2010)
Rights to an assessment of your needs under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014

27. Identifying carers
Do not assume that carers will recognise themselves, or that managers will know how to support them
Carers may need help to identify themselves
A promotion campaign
A leaflet that goes out with payslips, or posters that can be displayed in common areas

28. Identifying the issues
Ask carers what they need through workplace focus groups or a carers network
Do not assume that all carers need the same thing – they may move in and out of different stages of care and even different caring roles
Determine how the organisation can respond, ensuring top-down commitment and leadership and consultation across all levels of the organisation
Develop carers workplace policies

29. Carers and employers Recognition of the additional challenge
Flexibility
Understanding and encouragement to
seek advice and support
develop skills
socialise through volunteering
Understanding employers

30. Employers for Carers Our membership forum Employers for Carers:
Chaired by British Gas/Centrica
Supported by the specialist knowledge of Carers UK
supports employers to develop carer friendly workplaces
promotes the business benefits of supporting carers
influences employment policy and practice
maintains a Leadership Group committed to working with Government
Supports:
- Through guides and toolkits
Website resources
Sharing the learning at member networking event – each tackling a specific issue of interest to members, eg setting up and promoting carers networks
Employer and employee surveys and reports
Promotes
Acknowledged experts; through business case examples
HM Government/EfC/Carers UK’s 2013 report: Supporting Working Carers: The Benefits to Families, Business and the Economy
Influence
- Outcome of the joint HM Gov report: 9 local pilots ( ) to develop new and innovative measures including more effective employers support
- Through the work of Carers UK - such as the recent campaign urging the government to improve the rights of parent carers and the current campaign to protect Attendance Allowance from proposed changes that could impact on the financial support older disabled people and their carers receive in the future.
Leadership Group
- For example, the Employers for Carers Leadership Group has formerly esponded (as a group) to the New National Carers Strategy: Call for Evidence

31. How we help
Policies - Reviewing existing policies to include caring/carers - Developing a specific carers policy
Promotion - Awareness raising activities (e.g. Carers Week) - Identifying champions and role models
Practice - Flexible working and leave arrangements - Training and e-learning for managers and staff - Practical provisions such as health and wellbeing schemes, carers passport, parking space close to the office Peer support - Supporting workplace carers networks

32. Business benefits Improved recruitment and retention
Reduced costs
Centrica estimates potential costs savings of £2.5m through increased staff retention and £4.5m through reduced unplanned absenteeism
Reduced staff turnover
Listawood (SME) While only 56% of employees felt their pay was competitive 97% felt they offered better work life balance
Improved resilience and results
Reduced stress and absenteeism
BT achieved a productivity increase of 21% a year, at least £5 million on the bottom line

33. EfC Guides

34. Research and surveys •

35. Monthly e-bulletin

36. Carers UK – Employers for Carers (EfC)

37. For more information www.carerswales.org beth.evans@carerswales.org
Telephone:
Carers Wales is part of Carers UK, a charity registered in England and Wales(246329) and in Scotland (SCO39307) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England (864097). Registered Office: 20, Great Dover Street, London SE1 4LX