Decision details

The Head of Adult Care and Support  presented the report to members to seek Cabinet endorsement for the staff guidance that is specifically designed to inform unpaid carers in the Council workforce about the support available to them to help manage and balance work and caring responsibilities, and to clarify this support formally for managers . The report also presents the business case to Cabinet for introducing a new leave of absence for employees who have unpaid caring responsibilities

The Head of Adult Care and Support continued that the report was developed in conjunction with an RCT working group comprised of representatives from the People Development team, the Diversity team, HR and Adult Services to scope the possibility of introducing more specific support for unpaid carers within the RCT workforce

She advised members In response to the survey findings a draft Working Carers Guidance has prepared by the working group (Appendix 1). The guidance suggests small adjustments that could be explored within the workplace to support unpaid carers

The UK Government has recently published its intention to introduce unpaid carers leave as a statutory right, and it is proposed that the RCT Cabinet recognises the significant impact caring responsibilities can have on employees and endorse the recommendation to complement the existing leave arrangements already in place to include access to 5 paid leave days per annum to specifically support the following events as identified in the UK Government’s published statement on carer’s leave

Further to the proposed provision for working carers in the Council the working group also recommends that Cabinet endorse the pursuit umbrella membership of ‘Employers for Carers’, managed by Carers UK, which aims to “ensure employers have the support to retain and manage employees with caring responsibilities”.

The Deputy Leader commented that she was pleased to see the proposals before them and to hear that more and more Local Authorities were taking the same approach.  Unpaid carers in the Councils Workforce play a significant role in their Communities and in society and it is important that we signpost staff to the support that is available to them.

The Cabinet Member Adult Social Services was pleased to see the recognition for the unpaid carers in the workforce who have provided essential care for the most vulnerable during the pandemic and continuing beyond. 

The Leader stated that WG has put a lot of resource into this as they are aware of the pressures in this area and if they cannot provide this support it will add further pressure to other vulnerable services.  He added the more we can do to support carers the better.

Following discussion of the report it was RESOLVED to:

1. Endorse the Working Carers Guidance (Appendix 1) and support its implementation.

2. Endorse additional specific paid leave arrangements for unpaid carers within the workforce of up to 5 days per annum.

Endorse the pursuit of a recognised accreditation scheme for working carers ‘