Carers in Employment Project
On average 1 in 7 employees also has a caring role.
Many of us know someone who is in employment who also provides unpaid care, for a friend or family member who, due to illness or frailty, could not cope without their support.
Durham County Carers Support (DCCS) is a charitable organisation that has supported ‘unpaid carers’ for over 25 years and currently provides financial, practical and emotional support to over 20,000 carers across Durham and Darlington. This year has been extremely busy with carers needing support due to the pandemic, particularly those carers who are struggling to manage employment alongside their caring role.
The importance of supporting working carers is evident; employers retain skilled and experienced staff and save on recruitment and training costs; staff, who are also caring, benefit from retaining a salary and access to the social and emotional aspects of employment. Consequently, DCCS has received funding from Darlington Borough Council to increase awareness, within the SME business community, of the needs of ‘working carers’.
Jenni Wood (CEO) said, “This is a great opportunity for businesses to look at simple and cost-effective ways to support valuable staff who also have caring responsibilities; it’s a win-win situation”.
Do you know how many carers are in your workforce? Can you afford to lose them?
The project offers free awareness raising for staff and managers and the opportunity for senior managers to explore the support they could provide within the constraints of the business. Those businesses who participate in the project receive a Carer Friendly Employer Award and 12 months free access to the 'Employers for Carers' toolkits.
The project is free, flexible and virtual.
For further information about the project and how we can tailor it to your business requirements, please get in touch.
Email diane.williams@darlingtoncarers.org
Call on 01919174709
Visit their website for more information: Durham County Carers Support
