Description
Employment is a relationship between two parties, usually based on a contract, one being the employer and the other being the employee.
Research Summary on Employment Support for Careers
This report presents the findings of a qualitative research study, commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in April 2008, to examine and understand what employment support is needed for carers in order for them to take up and remain in work. Many carers who are not currently working would like to do so and the DWP is keen to understand the support they require to achieve this. The background to the project is the DWP's aim to promote work as the best form of welfare for people of working age by ensuring that work is seen as the best way out of poverty, while protecting the position of those in greatest need. The principal objectives of the research are to examine what employment supports are needed for carers currently in work or those who are currently caring or have recently ended a spell of caring and want to return to paid employment. Specifically: 1 To investigate how caring responsibilities affect people's decisions about employment. 2 To begin to fill the evidence gap on the role and effectiveness of existing services for carers. 3 To assess how the DWP and Jobcentre Plus can effectively help claimants with caring responsibilities to return to the labour market. 4 To provide evidence to enable the DWP to develop its strategy for carers. In total, 55 people in two regions were interviewed. This summary provides an overview of the research findings and the policy implications of the study.
How do caring responsibilities affect people's decisions about employment?
Caring places restrictions on the amount and type of paid work that carers can undertake: it may limit the hours they are available for work, how far from home they are prepared to travel and it impacts upon job mobility and career planning. Many of the carers interviewed for this research stressed the importance of work for financial, social and personal satisfaction reasons but, in practice, combining working and caring was far from easy. Many respondents talked about the balancing and juggling that went on to stay at work, the stress this caused and the guilt they often felt both towards their employers and co-workers and the cared for person. For those not currently working the desire to work remained in principle but when explored practically they expected or encountered considerable problems: finding suitable work in terms of flexible hours; feeling that no employer would take them on because of their caring responsibilities; and concern about the impact on the wellbeing of the cared for person and their own health. One of the key elements that facilitated the ability to work and care was work related flexibility; this took a number of different forms: part-time work, flexitime, shift working or term-
time working. However, this formal flexibility was not necessarily sufficient, it often needed to be reinforced by 'informal' flexibility, namely the willingness of line-managers or co-workers to accommodate shift changes or early or late arrivals according to the fluctuating and sometimes unpredictable demands of caring.
The role of the DWP and Jobcentre Plus in supporting carers to remain in, or return to, the labour market
There were varying degrees of experience of the DWP and its executive agencies amongst the respondents, ranging from people who had had no contact to those who had experience of job search activities and/or benefit advice. There was a widespread feeling, either through direct experience or hearsay, that the Jobcentre Plus environment was unwelcoming and this was linked to the sense that carers were not really understood; that there were no specialists or experts on caring in the Jobcentre Plus offices. The issue of expertise is now being addressed with specialist training for Jobcentre Plus advisers who deal with carers. Many respondents felt that, in relation to job search, Jobcentre Plus did not have the right kinds of jobs to meet their needs: either because they did not have part-time or flexible jobs suitable to accommodate care related demands or because they were only offered access to jobs that did not reflect their level of experience or previous job status. There is now a system for flagging flexible jobs on the Jobcentre Plus system, which should help identify the flexible opportunities available. There has also been agreement to fund replacement care to enable carers to undertake relevant training. Many carers who were interviewed complained about the complexity and inflexibility of benefit rules and wondered whether anyone really understood the system. This finding contributed to the widely noted view that there should be just one place that carers can go for advice on benefits and employment opportunities and that the advice needs to be provided by people who genuinely understand the situations carers are facing.
The role and effectiveness of sources of support for carers
Carers obtained support from a wide range of formal and informal sources: the National Health Service (NHS), social services, voluntary organisations, family and friends as well the DWP. With the exception of the DWP, most other sources of support for carers did not conceptualise their role as supporting or enabling carers to work. For most, carers contact with the NHS or social services focused on the needs of the cared for rather than their own circumstances; very few of those interviewed had had a social services assessment of their needs as a carer. There was a general sense of the fragmented nature of the support system available for carers and a strong desire for a single port of call for advice and help. The voluntary sector was highly valued by many of the carers who were interviewed because it came nearest to being a 'one-stop shop' for help but also because carers support groups were trusted sources of information, advice and support. A few respondents reported that employers demonstrated an active approach to supporting employees who were carers. It was more typical though for there to be no specific policies for carers and little awareness of what the needs of a carer might be. It was up to the carer to ask for help if it was needed and many carers felt it was their individual responsibility to manage the balance between work and caring, and hence, made few demands on their employers and in many cases were reluctant to divulge their circumstances.
Conclusions and policy implications of the research findings
It is a safe assumption, given current demographic trends and developments in medical care, that the demand for informal care will increase in the coming decades and that the challenge of how to effectively support carers to continue working and/ or facilitate their return to work will become increasingly important. Removing the barriers to employment for carers requires action on a number of different fronts and by a range of stakeholders. The DWP - as the main governmental policy agent in the field - most particularly through Jobcentre Plus and Pension Disability and Carers Service (PDCS), can play a number of roles in developing appropriate policies and procedures for their delivery. Employers will also have a pivotal role in providing and sustaining employment for carers. The NHS and social services, although primarily concerned with the needs of the cared for person, also have a role in supporting carers who wish to stay in, or return to, paid work. Lastly, the voluntary sector, which already does much to support carers on a day to day basis,may also be able to play an enhanced role in supporting working carers. In all cases the situation and needs of carers needs greater visibility and recognition. As has now been recognised there is a need for specific expertise on carers within JobcentrePlus and an enhanced ability to locate flexible working opportunities and match carers to those opportunities. With respect to welfare benefits for carers (which are currently under review by the Government) there is a need for greater clarity over benefit rules and entitlements and the interaction of different benefits. It is important that employers become more aware of carers and their needs, creating a network of sympathetic or care-friendly employers both nationally and locally may be one way of raising the visibility of carers as employees. Legislative rights for carers to request flexible working arrangements are insufficient by themselves as many people are not aware of their rights or if they are may
not wish to invoke them for fear of a negative reaction from their employer. At present, and not unreasonably, professionals in the NHS and social services are primarily focused on the needs of the cared for person and do not necessarily see their role as supporting the carer to remain in or go back to work. However, there clearly are roles for GPs in being alert to the health issues that carers combining work and caring may be experiencing and providing good advice and or referral to occupational health services. Social services need to be more aware of carers' rights to an assessment of their needs and this should be routinely offered and periodically revisited at every opportunity, e.g. when a visit to the cared for person is arranged. The voluntary sector is currently a well respected and trusted source of help, advice and support for carers. The barriers to involvement with Jobcentre Plus over employment support that many of our respondents expressed might be overcome by locating employment advice and support with third sector organisations that already command the respect and trust of carers.
doc_946406531.docx
Employment is a relationship between two parties, usually based on a contract, one being the employer and the other being the employee.
Research Summary on Employment Support for Careers
This report presents the findings of a qualitative research study, commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in April 2008, to examine and understand what employment support is needed for carers in order for them to take up and remain in work. Many carers who are not currently working would like to do so and the DWP is keen to understand the support they require to achieve this. The background to the project is the DWP's aim to promote work as the best form of welfare for people of working age by ensuring that work is seen as the best way out of poverty, while protecting the position of those in greatest need. The principal objectives of the research are to examine what employment supports are needed for carers currently in work or those who are currently caring or have recently ended a spell of caring and want to return to paid employment. Specifically: 1 To investigate how caring responsibilities affect people's decisions about employment. 2 To begin to fill the evidence gap on the role and effectiveness of existing services for carers. 3 To assess how the DWP and Jobcentre Plus can effectively help claimants with caring responsibilities to return to the labour market. 4 To provide evidence to enable the DWP to develop its strategy for carers. In total, 55 people in two regions were interviewed. This summary provides an overview of the research findings and the policy implications of the study.
How do caring responsibilities affect people's decisions about employment?
Caring places restrictions on the amount and type of paid work that carers can undertake: it may limit the hours they are available for work, how far from home they are prepared to travel and it impacts upon job mobility and career planning. Many of the carers interviewed for this research stressed the importance of work for financial, social and personal satisfaction reasons but, in practice, combining working and caring was far from easy. Many respondents talked about the balancing and juggling that went on to stay at work, the stress this caused and the guilt they often felt both towards their employers and co-workers and the cared for person. For those not currently working the desire to work remained in principle but when explored practically they expected or encountered considerable problems: finding suitable work in terms of flexible hours; feeling that no employer would take them on because of their caring responsibilities; and concern about the impact on the wellbeing of the cared for person and their own health. One of the key elements that facilitated the ability to work and care was work related flexibility; this took a number of different forms: part-time work, flexitime, shift working or term-
time working. However, this formal flexibility was not necessarily sufficient, it often needed to be reinforced by 'informal' flexibility, namely the willingness of line-managers or co-workers to accommodate shift changes or early or late arrivals according to the fluctuating and sometimes unpredictable demands of caring.
The role of the DWP and Jobcentre Plus in supporting carers to remain in, or return to, the labour market
There were varying degrees of experience of the DWP and its executive agencies amongst the respondents, ranging from people who had had no contact to those who had experience of job search activities and/or benefit advice. There was a widespread feeling, either through direct experience or hearsay, that the Jobcentre Plus environment was unwelcoming and this was linked to the sense that carers were not really understood; that there were no specialists or experts on caring in the Jobcentre Plus offices. The issue of expertise is now being addressed with specialist training for Jobcentre Plus advisers who deal with carers. Many respondents felt that, in relation to job search, Jobcentre Plus did not have the right kinds of jobs to meet their needs: either because they did not have part-time or flexible jobs suitable to accommodate care related demands or because they were only offered access to jobs that did not reflect their level of experience or previous job status. There is now a system for flagging flexible jobs on the Jobcentre Plus system, which should help identify the flexible opportunities available. There has also been agreement to fund replacement care to enable carers to undertake relevant training. Many carers who were interviewed complained about the complexity and inflexibility of benefit rules and wondered whether anyone really understood the system. This finding contributed to the widely noted view that there should be just one place that carers can go for advice on benefits and employment opportunities and that the advice needs to be provided by people who genuinely understand the situations carers are facing.
The role and effectiveness of sources of support for carers
Carers obtained support from a wide range of formal and informal sources: the National Health Service (NHS), social services, voluntary organisations, family and friends as well the DWP. With the exception of the DWP, most other sources of support for carers did not conceptualise their role as supporting or enabling carers to work. For most, carers contact with the NHS or social services focused on the needs of the cared for rather than their own circumstances; very few of those interviewed had had a social services assessment of their needs as a carer. There was a general sense of the fragmented nature of the support system available for carers and a strong desire for a single port of call for advice and help. The voluntary sector was highly valued by many of the carers who were interviewed because it came nearest to being a 'one-stop shop' for help but also because carers support groups were trusted sources of information, advice and support. A few respondents reported that employers demonstrated an active approach to supporting employees who were carers. It was more typical though for there to be no specific policies for carers and little awareness of what the needs of a carer might be. It was up to the carer to ask for help if it was needed and many carers felt it was their individual responsibility to manage the balance between work and caring, and hence, made few demands on their employers and in many cases were reluctant to divulge their circumstances.
Conclusions and policy implications of the research findings
It is a safe assumption, given current demographic trends and developments in medical care, that the demand for informal care will increase in the coming decades and that the challenge of how to effectively support carers to continue working and/ or facilitate their return to work will become increasingly important. Removing the barriers to employment for carers requires action on a number of different fronts and by a range of stakeholders. The DWP - as the main governmental policy agent in the field - most particularly through Jobcentre Plus and Pension Disability and Carers Service (PDCS), can play a number of roles in developing appropriate policies and procedures for their delivery. Employers will also have a pivotal role in providing and sustaining employment for carers. The NHS and social services, although primarily concerned with the needs of the cared for person, also have a role in supporting carers who wish to stay in, or return to, paid work. Lastly, the voluntary sector, which already does much to support carers on a day to day basis,may also be able to play an enhanced role in supporting working carers. In all cases the situation and needs of carers needs greater visibility and recognition. As has now been recognised there is a need for specific expertise on carers within JobcentrePlus and an enhanced ability to locate flexible working opportunities and match carers to those opportunities. With respect to welfare benefits for carers (which are currently under review by the Government) there is a need for greater clarity over benefit rules and entitlements and the interaction of different benefits. It is important that employers become more aware of carers and their needs, creating a network of sympathetic or care-friendly employers both nationally and locally may be one way of raising the visibility of carers as employees. Legislative rights for carers to request flexible working arrangements are insufficient by themselves as many people are not aware of their rights or if they are may
not wish to invoke them for fear of a negative reaction from their employer. At present, and not unreasonably, professionals in the NHS and social services are primarily focused on the needs of the cared for person and do not necessarily see their role as supporting the carer to remain in or go back to work. However, there clearly are roles for GPs in being alert to the health issues that carers combining work and caring may be experiencing and providing good advice and or referral to occupational health services. Social services need to be more aware of carers' rights to an assessment of their needs and this should be routinely offered and periodically revisited at every opportunity, e.g. when a visit to the cared for person is arranged. The voluntary sector is currently a well respected and trusted source of help, advice and support for carers. The barriers to involvement with Jobcentre Plus over employment support that many of our respondents expressed might be overcome by locating employment advice and support with third sector organisations that already command the respect and trust of carers.
doc_946406531.docx