Caring Together can offer a wide range of support for parent carers.

Carer helpline

0345 241 0954 or email hello@caringtogether.org

Counselling

Caring Together are able to offer free counselling from qualified counsellors trained in different skills and approaches.

The confidential counselling they can provide you is person-centred. They can help with bereavement counselling, dealing with emotional and psychological difficulties and more.

Sessions are available by telephone, Zoom or face-to-face as appropriate, and in accordance with COVID-19 guidance.

Hubs/Peer support

These give all family carers a chance to meet with other carers, receive information and advice, as well as have a break from their usual caring role. Caring Together now offer a hub specifically for parent carers of young people over the age of 18 to follow on from the Tii Hub offer at Pinpoint.

Parent carer workshops

Aswell as the extensive offer of workshops from Pinpoint, Caring Together hold a range of free online workshops for parent carers, that range from benefits advice to safe relationship advice for young people.

Home care

Carers may be eligible for help with the costs of Home Care so it is always worth giving the Caring Together helpline a call first to double check. The phone number is 0345 241 0954.

Emergency planning 

It has always been valuable for people looking after a family member or friend to be identified as a carer. The Caring Together carer’s card is a good way for to help you be identified a carer.

Caring Together can also help you to put together a ‘What If?’ plan which can be activated if something happens which means you cannot continue with your caring role.

Family carers prescription

Are you caring for someone and feeling emotionally or physically overwhelmed? Do you have your own health needs or medical appointment that you need to attend? Are you feeling close to crisis point? Caring Together can help you to get a family carers prescription to help you with your caring role.

Magazine and email newsletter

Caring Together’s carers magazine is a great source of information about the range of support available across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for all family carers. It includes details of lots of events for carers as well as articles and adverts promoting a wide variety of organisations who can provide support to carers.

They also send a regular email newsletter specifically for carers to keep you up to date on the latest news and information, including the support available to you.

Carer friendly tick award

A key piece of Caring Together’s work to help carers is to raise awareness in the community with health, social care and education professionals, and employers.

Transition planning

The time when a young person is transitioning into adulthood can be particularly difficult for parent carers. Caring Together have a parent carer lead who is working with parent carers from Pinpoint and Family Voice Peterborough to improve the information and support available for parent carers at this key stage.

If you are a parent carer who would like help, please contact hello@caringtogether.org

As a parent carer, you are entitled to workplace rights that safeguard you against discrimination and grant you the right to emergency time off.

Throughout the UK, carers have the option to request flexible working arrangements after completing a minimum of 6 months with their employer. Many employers go beyond the basic statutory requirements, so it’s worth checking the company policy.

Flexible working can encompass various options, including:

1. Adjusting your working hours, such as starting and finishing at non-standard times, to accommodate your caregiving responsibilities.
2. Working extended hours on specific days, allowing for more days off per week or fortnight. For instance, working from 8 am to 6 pm over 4 days instead of the standard 9 am to 5 pm over 5 days.
3. Sharing or splitting your work hours with a colleague.
4. Opting for part-time work by reducing daily hours, working fewer days, or seeking term-time-only hours. This might involve using paid or unpaid leave, or accepting pro-rata salary adjustments.

Unpaid carers have the right to take time off work during emergencies or unforeseen events. The law requires such absences to be considered ‘reasonable,’ without specifying limits on frequency or duration. Emergency situations may include changes or cancellations to your usual arrangements; illness or accidents involving the person you care for; the need to arrange long-term options; incidents at your child’s school; or the passing of a dependent.

However, planned events, like medical appointments, should be discussed with your employer in advance.

Employers are not obligated to provide payment during dependent-related time off, although some may have policies allowing for it.

Under the Equality Act 2010, discrimination based on your status as a carer is illegal. This protection extends to those associated with individuals possessing protected characteristics. For example, being penalised for taking time off to care for a dependent, while a colleague takes similar time off for other reasons without penalty, constitutes illegal discrimination.

If you believe you’ve been treated unfairly, in the first instance try to have a conversation with your employer. If this proves unsuccessful, you can file a formal complaint or pursue resolution through an employment tribunal. Additional guidance can be sought from the Citizens Advice Bureau.