Two of Dundee’s largest employers have pledged additional support for the city’s army of dedicated carers.
Hundreds of Dundonians of all ages dedicate large parts of their lives to caring for ill, frail or disabled family members, friends and partners.
For many, that means putting lives on hold and sacrificing others friends and social lives, often for many years at a time.
Despite the demands of caring, however, new figures show almost half of carers are in employment, with their dual lives make them among the city’s most vulnerable people.
Now NHS Tayside and Dundee City Council have joined with Dundee Carers Centre to back the Carers Positive Initiative, which encourages employers to create a supportive environment in the workplace.
Stewart Hunter, convener of Dundee City Council’s children and families committee, said: “We know from recent statistics that 48% of carers are in employment so the support that an employer can offer can make a significant difference to their lives.
“It’s also a win-win because as employers we can benefit by retaining experienced workers, reducing staff absences and making savings on recruitment costs to replace carers for whom working is no longer viable.”
The Carer Positive award is presented to employers in Scotland who have a working environment where carers are valued and supported.
NHS Tayside Chairman Professor John Connell said: “NHS Tayside recognises the huge amount of support that carers provide every day.
“Many of our employees act as carers, and we are delighted to join with the Council in backing this initiative.
“The staff who work in NHS Tayside are our greatest asset and it is vital that we recognise their needs in managing the demands that being a carer can create.
All three local bodies have achieved “engaged” status, the first of three levels of recognition in the scheme and intend to work towards “established” and then “exemplary”.
The format enables employers to progress from that status, through “established” to “exemplary”, building from an initial level of commitment to embedding a culture of support for carers within the organisation.
These stages are cumulative, with employers only able to move to the next level once the required criteria at each stage is achieved and maintained.
Stacey Clark is communications manager at the Dundee Carers Centre and said she was delighted to have achieved the award.
He said: “Anything we as employers can do to support carers in the workplace is crucial.
“Staff are an organisation’s most important resource and we must support them and appreciate the many demands on their time.”
