There are about 1 million carers in Norfolk. Around a third of carers combine caring for a loved one with paid work.
Norfolk's carers need our support and practical help. We want to help Norfolk's employers become more carer friendly.
We launched the Norfolk Carers' Charter in November 2018. It was written by carers for carers. It sets out the support carers should be able to expect from:
Read the Norfolk Carers' Charter
You can make your carer-friendly status official by applying for a Carer Friendly Tick Award.
Carer Friendly Tick Awards are given to organisations that make sure carers they work with are easily identified and properly supported.
To earn the Carer Friendly Tick Award for Employers, you'll need to meet five standards:
The Carer Friendly Tick is organised by Caring Together. They can give you free support to help you apply for and earn your award.
Find out more about the Carer Friendly Tick
Some members of staff may not identify themselves as carers. Most will only identify themselves where they feel supported to do so.
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) shared these top tips for supporting working carers:
You can download a leaflet on how to support working carers, which has been produced by ADASS.
The care of an ill, older or disabled loved one is often just a part of life for many people. Those providing this care may not even identify as a carer, remaining unaware of what support is available to them both inside and outside of work.
By raising awareness of carers within your workplace, this may help your employees to identify themselves as carers and find out about support available to them and the person they care for.
Analysis from Age UK shows that an estimated £5.3bn a year is lost from the economy in earnings due to people leaving the workforce to take on caring responsibilities for older or disabled loved ones.
Supporting carers to work makes good business sense. Carers have unique skills gained through their caring roles; they are flexible, resourceful and resilient.
Carers don’t want to be a special case – they want understanding and support from employers which helps them do their job well and continue their caring responsibilities.
The Government's Supporting working carers report highlights the economic and social benefits of supporting carers in the workplace. They include:
