This course is aimed at managers and HR staff to help them explore ways to support and engage with the ever growing number of carers in the workforce. Organisations may have their own specific policies and practices but it is managers who are the gatekeepers to these policies and practices and who can make the real difference in supporting and retaining working carers.

This course will help line managers identify carers and their needs in the workplace, explore practical and sustainable ways to help carers stay in work whilst maintaining health and productivity and also understand the real business benefits of supporting carers in the workplace.

Employees who are looking after someone who is elderly or disabled are now protected against direct discrimination or harrassment because of their caring responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. Employers must therefore now ensure they do not discriminate against the three million carers in the workforce by treating them differently to other workers, or subjecting them to harassment.

This course is aimed at employers, including line managers and HR professionals, to explore how they can support and retain working carers within the context of the law. 

Understanding the benefits that flexible working can bring to both the employer and employees with caring responsibilities is an important part of developing policies and practices. Evidence has shown that a flexible working approach attracts and retains staff, reduces stress and sick leave, increases productivity, improves service delivery, produces cost savings and improves people management.

This course is aimed at managers and human resources staff to help them to explore ways to support the ever growing number of carers in the workforce using a flexible working approach.

If carers are not supported, they are more likely to experience stress, to have to reduce working hours, miss out on opportunities for professional development or even leave the workplace altogether – 1 in 5 leave work to care. Our research 'Caring at a Distance: bridging the gap' shows that the majority of working carers feel that their work has been negatively affected by caring and they feel tired, stressed and anxious (43%).

This course is aimed at managers and human resources staff to help them to explore ways to support and engage the carers in the workforce. The course will discuss identifying the roots of stress, stress busting strategies, prevention strategies and workplace support.

When carers are supported by their employers they can juggle work and care more effectively, with identifiable benefits in terms of retention, productivity and reduced absence. If carers are not supported, they are more likely to experience stress, to have to reduce working hours, miss out on opportunities for professional development or even leave the workplace altogether.

This course is aimed specifically at working carers and is designed to be delivered in the workplace. The course will cover information on caring, juggling work and care and flexible working; legislation and good practice examples of supporting carers in the workplace; effective internal sources of help, such as peer to peer support through carer networks and effective external sources of support, such as local authorities and condition specific charities.