Expo is the most significant annual health and social care event in the calendar, uniting more NHS and care leaders, commissioners, clinicians, voluntary sector partners, innovators and media than any other health and care event. Expo 15 returned to Manchester and was hosted once again by NHS England. Around 5000 people a day from health and care, the voluntary sector, local government, and industry joined together at Manchester Central Convention Centre for two packed days of speakers, workshops, exhibitions and professional development. This year, Expo was more relevant and engaging than ever before, happening within the first 100 days of the new Government, and almost 12 months after the publication of the NHS Five Year Forward View. It was also a great opportunity to check on and learn from the progress of Greater Manchester as the area prepares to take over a £6 billion devolved health and social care budget, pledging to integrate hospital, community, primary and social care and vastly improve health and well-being. More information is available online: www.expo.nhs.uk

1. Supporting Staff who are Carers –
meeting the Five Year Forward View for
the NHS
Neil Churchill – NHS England
Mary Edwards – Employers for Carers
Anne Smyth – Carers Resource, Standing Commission on Carers

2. The Five Year Forward View
• The NHS Five Year Forward View (October 2014) and sets out a vision for
the future of the NHS.
• The purpose of the Five Year Forward View is to articulate why change is
needed, what that change might look like and how we can achieve it.
• ‘When people do need health services, patients will gain far greater control
of their own care – including the option of shared budgets combining health
and socialcare. The 1.4 million full time unpaid carers in England will get
new support, and the NHS will become a better partner with voluntary
organisations and local communities.

3. CCG Planning Guidance 2015/16
• CCGs should be mindful of the significant changes to local authority powers
and duties fromApril 2015 under the CareAct 2013. Plans should focus on
supporting young carersand working carers through the provision of
accessible services, and services for carers fromvulnerable groups.
• We expect all NHS employers to review in 2015/16 their own flexible working
arrangements and support for staff with unpaid caring responsibilities.

4. Supporting carers
in the workplace:
How we help
Mary Edwards
Operations Manager, Employers for Carers
Carers UK

6. The demographics
• An ageing population
– 6.5 million people in the UK are currently caring, with an
estimated 2.5 million more carers needed in the next 20 years
• An ageing workforce
– A dependency ratio set to fall from 4 to 2, meaning more people
having to work, and work longer, to meet care and pensions bills
• Changing family structures
– beanpole families, blended families = sandwich caring
– mobile families, for study or work = distance caring
= More people combining work and caring

7. The workforce challenge
• Loss of talent in the workplace
– Reflecting skills and experience
• Costs of recruitment and productivity
– Employee’s last salary
• Lost potential
– Reducing hours of working/working below skills level
• Absenteeism
– Caring identified as a factor by the Confederationof British
Industry (CBI)

8. Employers for Carers
Employers membership forum
• Provides a practical service to employers seeking to develop carer
friendly workplace policies and practices
• Identifies and promotes the business benefits of supporting carers
in the workplace
• Influences employment policy and practice to create a culture
which supports carers in and into work
• Maintains a Leadership Group committed to working with
Government to inform policy and influence practice
Chaired by British Gas and supported by the specialist
knowledge of Carers UK

9. Membership benefits
Membership includes
• Password protected website
• Sections for employers/managers and employees
• Practical tools and tips including a benchmarking tool
• Good practice case studies and model policies
• Monthly e-bulletins and quarterly policy briefings
• Practical guides and advice for employers and carers
• Employer networking events
• Training and consultancy services
• Complimentary online Carers UK membership for employees
who are carers

10. How EfC helps
The four ‘P’s
Policies
• Reviewing, implementing and embedding
• Case studies and practice examples
Promotion
• Publicity and awareness raisingactivities
• Creating a culture to make it ‘ok to talk about caring’
Practice
• Tips and tools for managers
• Information and advice for employees
Peer support
• Setting up and supporting employee carers networks (including online)

13. Research, influence and action

14. What employers can do (1)
• Offer and promote flexible working practices:
• Traditional patterns
– Flexitime, term time working, part time working, job share, shift swapping,
career break
• Progressive options
– Staggered hours, self rostering, job share register, split shifts,
compressed/annualised hours, home working, remote working

15. What employers can do (2)
Offer special leave arrangements:
• Paid emergency leave
• Compassionate leave
• Carers leave (paid/unpaid)
• Matched leave
• Borrowing/buying leave
• Career breaks

16. What employers can do (3)
Ensure support and understanding from managers:
• Train and support line managers
• Identify carer aware managers at all levels
• Create a supportive workplace culture
• Ensure consistent implementation of policies

17. What employers can do (4)
• Offer workplace support such as:
• in-house networking groups for carers andmanagers
• publicising policies on intranet or handbooks, using individual case
studies
• employee assistance programme (EAP)
• Offer practicalsupport:
• access to private phone/room to make call
• car parking space close to place of work

18. The Business Case
The four ‘R’s
• Recruitment
• Employer of choice in a tight market
• Retention
• Keeping skills and experience
• Resilience
• Improved productivity and employee engagement
• Results
• Improved performance

19. Contact:
mary.edwards@carersuk.org
Visit:
www.carersuk.org
www.employersforcarers.org

20. The Carers’ Resource gives tailored support and information to unpaid carers and
vulnerable people. It is an independent award-winning Yorkshire charity which is
open to everyone and offers emotional and practical help to enable them to cope.

21. Care provision
Volunteering,
inclusion and
engagement
Learning,
training and
employment
Information
Caseworker
services
Breaks, activities
and wellbeing
Young Carers
and Parent Carers
holistic support for family life
Referralsfrom:
Carers/ cared-for,OtherHealth/ SocialCareprofessionalsand VCS
staff
Proactiveoutreach in: GP practices,hospitalteams,community
based services
Services from
Development
and
enterprise
Admin and
receptionb
Harrogate
01423 500555
Bradford
01274 449660
Craven and Airedale
01756 700888
Ripon
01765 690222
www.carersresource.org

22. Core functions of the Carers’Resource
• Informationprovision
• Training(forcarers and professionals)
• Awareness raising(ofneeds and opportunities forcarers)
• Networkingand partnership
• Feedinginto planningprocesses
• Encouraging/ facilitatingconsultationand inclusion
• Development of initiatives
• Sustained,one-to-onecarersupport
• Income generation
• Direct care provision

23. Developing carers’ potential
Recognising barriers to accessing work, learning and recreation.
Social isolation and exclusion / lack of confidence / qualifications and skills outdated
Encouraging and helping carers and former carers to achieve their own aspirations with a
diverse programme of learning opportunities tailor-made for carers. Our menu of activities
includes:
• confidence building
• one-to-one support, including advice about coping with caring
• CV writing
• fun
• links to education, courses of learning and skills training
• job searching
• volunteering
• work experience and access to employment opportunities
• discussing a business idea, for self-employment
• advice about flexible working rights

24. How we support employers
Carers Rights at Work
App4care
Access to 1:1 support
Training for staff
Tweaking
policies
Research and
Innovation
Accessto care
provision
Caring
confidently

25. Working with employers
to implement carer-friendly employment policies
 Amend EOs systems to identify carers at the start of recruitment process
 Ask employees in supervisions/appraisals about carer status
 Capitalise on publicity, annually, of Carers’Week and Carers’Rights Day
 Allow carers access to phone
 Provide plenty of notice prior to out-of-hours work and training.
 Encourage employees to look after their own health
 Invite external providers to host information stands or wellbeing days
 Train management and staff to recognise carers
 Provide a staff noticeboard with details of carer support services
 Offer flexible working patterns where possible
 Appoint a carers’champion
 Be approachable, flexible and non-judgemental

26. Developing best practice - 1
Since 2012 we have spoken to 53 employers varying from very small to very large:
manufacturing companies, solicitors, family centres, schools, local government and Chambers of Trade and
Commerce
PhD student evaluating our work in joint venture with Leeds University
We are currently working closely with three local employers: HMRC, Bradford University and Airedale
Enterprises
• changing and creating policies,
• writing tailor-made Carers Charters for each company
• recruiting carers champions
• supporting Health and Well Being Departments,
• delivering the training package
• offering a buddy in our Information team for quick and easy access to carers/staff enquiries,
• providing information stands and advice
We are offering this package to other HR departments and businesses.

27. Developing best practice - 2
CARERS’CHARTER
BradfordTeaching Hospitals Foundation Trust greatly value the important role
of family and friends as unpaid carers.All carers whether staff, patients or
visitors can expect the Trust to demonstrate
• Commitment - identify carers
• Care - support carers
• Compassion - value and treat carers with respect
• Communication - provide carers with information
• Courage- recognise carers as partnersand involve them
• Competence - listen to and engage with carers

28. App4Care
Tasks Panic Contact Trip/Fall Locator Info Wellbeing

29. Making a Difference
‘I’ve beenactively monitoringmy
wellbeing throughthe
app…recognisedpoorhealth
patterns emerging, I took these
findings to a medical appointment,
resulting in a change in medication
whichmeant I amnow sleeping
better at night andfallingless.’
One tester supports a child of 11 years oldwho has Autism, just about
to go to secondary school. They report greaterindependence,as
instructions come fromthe phone andnot Mum!
Using tasks to focus onpersonal hygiene. Usingthe locationtracker to
enable them to visit friends unaccompanied.

30. Anne Smyth
Deputy Chair of the Standing Commission on Carers
Director, The Carers’Resource
11 North Park Road, Harrogate, NorthYorkshire HG4 1EY
Tel: 01423 500555
Email: director@carersresource.org
Website: www.carersresource.org