As an employer in Gateshead it is estimated that almost 15% of your employees will have significant caring responsibilities in addition to paid employment. 1 in 6 carers give up work or cut back on hours to care. This is generating an unwelcome financial impact on businesses faced with losing skilled employees in whom they have already made a considerable investment.
Gateshead Carers not only work with carers to help overcome any issues with their caring role but we also support local employers to help them recognise and support carers within their workforce. We provide employers with free information, advice and training on how to make workplaces a supportive and productive environment for working carers and improve staff retention rates, lower recruitment costs, increase staff loyalty and reduce sickness absence.
We provide the following FREE services for employers:
- Drop-in sessions and 1-2-1 appointments with staff on employers’ premises
- Emotional support and counselling
- Carer Awareness training for HR staff and line managers
- Carers Awareness eLearning course
- Presentations/talks at team meetings
- Policy reviews
- Toolkit to support HR duties
- Carer-Friendly Employer Award
If you are a local employer and would like to receive more information or talk about how we can support your business to become more carer aware and friendly, please get in touch with us at Tel: 0191 4900121 or Email: enquiries@gatesheacarers.com
Carer-Friendly Employers in Gateshead:
- Age UK Gateshead
- Akzo Nobel International Paints
- Carers Trust Tyne and Wear
- Citizens Advice Gateshead
- CrossRoads
- Equality North East
- Gateshead College
- Gateshead Council
- Gateshead GMB
- Gateshead Voluntary Organisations Council (GVOC)
- Gibside School,
- Hill Top / Dryden School
- HMRC
- Job Centre Plus Northumberland Tyne and Wear
- Legal Aid Agency South Tyneside
- North East Council on Addiction (NECA)
- Northumberland
- Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust
- Ingeus (Studsvik UK Ltd.)
- Tyneside Women’s Health
- Unison Gateshead
Gateshead Carers are also proud to work with:
- Gateshead Housing Company
- Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust
- INTU Metro Centre
- Sainsbury’s Team Valley
- Tesco Trinity Square,
- TUC & The Better Health at Work Awards
ELearning Website and Resources
Gateshead Carers has developed an eLearning site for employers, employees, carers and health & social care professionals. The aim of this free e-Learning course is to raise awareness, increase knowledge and understanding of the nature of the caring role. The eLearning website is available to anyone and we would like to encourage employers and HR professionals to use within their workforce, especially to train their line managers and supervisors.
Please do take a look, test your knowledge with our online quiz and earn our Carer Aware Certificate! Enjoy your leaning!
Carer Friendly Employer Award
Working with Gateshead Carers is an opportunity for local employers to receive free information and advice and demonstrate their commitment to support unpaid carers in their workforce. With this award we would like to give recognition for local businesses’ fort this effort and commitment.
Please get in touch if you would like an informal chat about how the Award works and how we can support your business, we offer information and advice on flexible working and HR policies, trainings on carer issues and rights to help businesses to achieve one of our awards.
Requirements for Gateshead Carers’ Carer Friendly Employer Award:
Bronze Award
- Has systems in place to identify staff with a caring role
- Is developing HR policies which demonstrate its commitment to supporting staff with a caring role
- Line Managers have completed the Carer Awareness eLearning course or we have delivered training to key staff on your premises.
Silver Award
- Has a positive approach to supporting employees with a caring role
- Can evidence how this is communicated to employees
- Has systems in place to identify staff with a caring role
- Is developing HR policies which demonstrate its commitment to supporting staff with a caring role
- Line managers have completed the Carer Awareness eLearning course or we have delivered training to key staff on your premises.
Gold Award
- Has a positive approach to supporting employees with a caring role
- Can evidence how this is communicated to employees
- Has systems in place to identify employees with a caring role
- Has HR policies which demonstrate its commitment to supporting staff with a caring role
- Can evidence how flexible working is being used to support staff with a caring role
- Can evidence how the organisation supports employees with a caring role (additional practical support offered)
- Line managers have completed the Carer Awareness eLearning course or we have delivered training to key staff on your premises.
- Uses the Carer Friendly Employer Award on publicity materials