Walking the Tightrope

Laura Graham, writer of our regular Carer’s Voice column, was invited to the recent meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Carers. The event was focusing on the challenges faced by older carers who are juggling caring responsibilities with paid employment.

Walking the Tightrope in Parliament

I attended the All Party Parliamentary Group on Carers in October. Co-Chaired by Baroness Pitkeathley and Barbara Keeley MP, this meeting was themed around the particular struggles faced by older carers in employment.

Christopher Brooks, Senior Policy Manager for Age UK gave a brief presentation about the Age UK and Carers UK joint report, Walking the Tightrope, which looks at the challenges of combining work and care in later life.

Even a small amount of caring responsibility has an impact

The report found that caring impacts on people’s ability to remain in work in later life even if the caring role is as little as five hours per week. Additionally, those in lower skilled work are affected more than those in higher skilled roles. It found that the transition to being a carer presents particular risks to older people’s employment when there is a failure of employers and the care and support system to help people through this difficult time – and consequently there is a danger of their withdrawal from the labour market.

Income, health and well-being all undermined by caring role

Unsurprisingly, the report found that carers are disadvantaged in many areas as the result of their difficulties combining work and care, including loss of income during their working life, and in retirement; and impacts on their health and wellbeing due to a loss of a sense of identity and social connection associated with employment. Yet the cost to the economy of carers’ withdrawal from the labour force is estimated at £1.3 billion; the potential gain of enabling carers to work is estimated to be £5.3 billion per year.

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Companies benefit from carer-friendly work environment

We then heard from two employers about their efforts to develop carer-friendly policy for their employees. One company, of about 150 employees, has made a firm commitment to creating a culture of flexibility and support to those needing to balance their home and work lives, often at short notice. This approach has helped with staff retention which has saved money on recruitment and training.

Additionally, this company had discussed with staff their “essential income level” and had a “trusted point of contact” for staff who wanted to talk about how their caring responsibilities might impact on their work.

Acute need for funded replacement care

I raised the issue of a lack of funded replacement care desperately required to enable more carers to pursue their ambition to work alongside their caring responsibilities. It was largely agreed that this barrier to employment is a reflection of the wider current crisis in social care funding.

The employers stated that they had noticed particular difficulties with their staff when their carees were due for hospital discharge only to find that Social Services have failed to arrange a suitable care package.

Positive signs for the future, but more funding needed…

Overall, the meeting was interesting. It was encouraging to see the benefits to employers of having a carers’ policy in place highlighted, and that this may become a statutory requirement is a positive. However, without suitable funding for replacement care, this move will have very little impact on those providing a substantial amount of care each day.

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Further resources

The full report, Walking the Tightrope, can be found here (the link will open in a new browser window)

Independent Living has an area dedicated to resources for carers, particularly helpful for anyone who finds themselves suddenly responsible for providing care for a partner, friend or family member.