LET’S CARE TOGETHER

The Let’s Care Together programme, a collaboration between Simplyhealth, a leading healthcare provider and Business in the Community (BITC), encourages businesses to support the wellbeing of unpaid carers through employee volunteering.

Five million people in England and Wales and more than 9% of the UK population, provide unpaid care to a relative, friend, or somebody else with a long-term illness, mental health condition or problems related to old age.¹
We know unpaid carers who provide high levels of care for sick or disabled relatives and friends are more than twice as likely to suffer from poor health compared to people without caring responsibilities.²

The Let’s Care Together programme will provide employee volunteers from participating organisations to support carers by providing online mentoring and support sessions, streamlining access to resources and providing practical support.  

The support will be across the four pillars of wellbeing: physical, mental, social and financial. It will help carers connect with friends and family, community groups and other support networks, find wellbeing information and gain financial confidence.  

What will employee volunteers do?

Let’s Care Together volunteers will help to improve the carer’s overall wellbeing and health by; 

• Increasing the carer’s social wellbeing. Developing feelings of connectedness and establishing community links.  
• Increasing the carer’s financial independence and access to financial tools. 
• Improving the carer’s access to practical support and tools for physical wellbeing. 
• Support the carer’s mental wellbeing by reducing feelings of isolation.  
• Extending the programme’s benefits to the household the carer supports.
   

How does it work?

Mentors help improve the confidence of the carer by understanding and tackling their needs, understanding budgeting, savings, pensions and overall wellbeing and health.  

• Businesses join the programme by offering their employees a volunteering opportunity to become mentors. 
• Employee volunteers will receive comprehensive training on being a mentor and be provided with all the required tools and resources*.
• Mentors are then matched with beneficiaries to provide one-to-one support. 
• Mentors and their dedicated carer mentee will meet virtually for six sessions of 60-90 minutes over two to four months. 

*Guidance and support will be provided throughout the programme.

What are the benefits for organisations and their employees? 

By being part of this programme, not only will the participants benefit from the support they receive, but the referring organisations will benefit from; 

• A boost to employee engagement by providing meaningful volunteering opportunities that allow them to contribute to their local communities.
  
• An increased awareness of local services, community needs and opportunities. 
  
• Playing an integral role in supporting people who look after others (some of whom might be the organisation’s own employees).  
  
• Employee skills will be developed through the training provided and by being able to put this training into practice.
  
• An increased impact for responsible business agendas with a demonstrable commitment to providing social value.

How do organisations get involved? 

If you are an organisation providing advice and guidance to people with caring responsibilities who would benefit from mentoring, find out more about becoming a referral or delivery partner. 

Express your interest in getting involved with the UK-wide mobilisation of businesses supporting those with caring responsibilities by emailing the team at Care at Business in the Community.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)