Let’s Care Together for Carers Week
It is estimated that five million people juggle work and care in the UK – one in seven in every workplace – and this figure is set to increase. Given the stresses and strains that can result from balancing work and caring, it is unsurprising that one in six carers give up work or reduce their hours to care.1 Although workplace inclusion is now commonly discussed, how many organisations consider unpaid carers as part of their strategy? Ensuring unpaid carers in the workplace feel included and have the flexibility to balance work with caring responsibilities is key to helping carers remain in work.
A recent survey2 by theCarers Trust in September 2023 found that carers felt alone and without the necessary support they needed, as councils and health services were not able to guide and signpost them towards further support, leaving them to find out about available help themselves, suggesting a system that isn’t working.
In November 2023, Business in the Community (BITC) and Simplyhealth launched the ‘Let’s Care Together’ programme. The programme aims to improve carer wellbeing by helping carers to take time out for themselves and think about their own health and wellbeing. Business employee volunteers support carers through virtual one-to-one wellbeing befriending. The programme already had 22 carers referred onto it during its pilot stage and continues to take on referrals, aiming to reach over 500 carers across the UK over the next three years.
“At Simplyhealth, we encourage every colleague to consider how they can use their skills and experiences to benefit others, particularly aligned to our purpose of improving access to healthcare for all in the UK.“
– Charlotte Cook, ESG Lead, Simplyhealth
“At Simplyhealth, we encourage every colleague to consider how they can use their skills and experiences to benefit others, particularly aligned to our purpose of improving access to healthcare for all in the UK. Many choose to do this through our three volunteering days per colleague, per year and by focusing on a topic close to their hearts. Today, we have 19 incredible Simplyhealth volunteers who are now supporting an unpaid carer through virtual one-to-one wellbeing befriending.” – Charlotte Cook, ESG Lead, Simplyhealth
Alongside this support programme, we are also working with business members to help them support their employees who may be unpaid carers through flexible working practices.
BITC and Simplyhealth are looking to establish a members’ network to address health inequality at an employer level. The network will be made up of BITC members and will explore how businesses can better support unpaid carers within their workforce and retain them as employees. This offers an opportunity to have an open discussion about how businesses can adopt best practice to ensure that employees who are carers receive the support they need and can remain in work. This means a focus on adequate support and flexibility to juggle their personal and professional lives, enabling them to prioritise their own health and wellbeing.
As part of this network, we will be offering best practice guidance and tools to members so that they can better support those in caring positions and reduce the number leaving the workforce. This includes sharing a new research report from the Carers Trust, to be published in November 2024, offering opportunities to take action through our Let’s Care Together programme. This week, June 11, marks Carers Week, and we will be hosting the first member network meeting on this agenda.
Are you an unpaid carer seeking support with your wellbeing? Sign up to BITC’s Let’s Care Together programme.
WE CAN SUPPORT YOU WITH YOUR EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STRATEGY
References
1 Employers for Carers, carersuk
2 Adult Carer Survey Report 2023, pdf (carers.org)
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