Policy paper

Civil Service Carers' Strategy: 2020 to 2025

Updated 18 August 2023

Vision

In the Civil Service, we want to build an inclusive culture where carers not only have the right support available but also have a sense of belonging, are able to be their authentic selves and feel that they have a voice. Almost 67,000 civil servants have identified themselves as carers. Our aim is to be a best practice employer by providing the right culture and support to enable carers to combine a successful working life with their caring role.

Culture

The Civil Service recognises the importance of providing a supportive workplace. People should be able to feel engaged and supported in their work whilst undertaking their caring responsibilities.

Priority 1

Create a culture where people feel supported in combining work and caring: leaders at all levels will be visible in raising awareness of carers’ issues and the practical support offered to them; steps will be taken to raise employee and manager awareness of carers’ issues; messaging will include recognition that employees at all grades may be carers.

Actions

• Departments to appoint a departmental Carers’ Champion and support staff who wish to set up and run a carers’ network.
• Civil Service HR (CSHR) to support those involved in promoting the carers’ agenda in departments and to engage them in the development of the strategic agenda.
• Consider how a future Civil Service Carers’ Champion’s role aligns with other Civil Service champions and aim to appoint one in 2020/21.
• All to take responsibility, including Champions and leaders, to message on the importance of supporting carers and practical ways to achieve this including in Carers’ Week and on Carers’ Rights Day.
• Departments and CSHR to consider how best to capture data on carers in HR systems and then to consider how best to use this data to understand their issues.
• CSHR to integrate carers more fully into the Civil Service approach to diversity and inclusion.
• Departments to create a working environment that promotes learning and development opportunities to enable those with caring responsibilities to progress.
• Departmental champions and CSHR to monitor implementation of this strategy and report progress.

Priority 2

Engage with carers to improve how HR policy takes account of their needs: the Civil Service will involve carers in considering how relevant HR policies address carer issues.

Actions

• Departments and CSHR to engage with carers, including through the Civil Service Carers’ Network, to improve how HR policy takes account of their needs.
• Departments and CSHR to encourage other network groups to identify issues of concern to carers and to propose actions to address these.
• Departments and CSHR to analyse relevant People Survey data and consider the implications for policy development in collaboration with their Carers Network.

Support

To become the most inclusive employer, the Civil Service will promote take up of the practical support available to help carers and develop this further to reflect best practice.

Priority 3

Promote the take up of new and existing carer provision: the Civil Service will continue to encourage departments, managers and employees to make use of new and existing caring provision.

Actions

• CSHR to encourage further take-up by departments and agencies of the carers’ charter.
• Departments and CSHR to promote take up of the carer’s passport including through the use of the video developed by CSHR.
• Departments, supported by CSHR, to ensure managers and employees are clear how special leave and other forms of statutory leave can be used to support carers.
• Departments to promote the wider use of supportive manager materials including those provided by Employers for Carers and the Charity for Civil Servants.
• Departments to provide information on their provision for carers in their induction and manager training.

Priority 4

Develop and recognise departmental provision: departments will be supported to develop their provision and achieve accreditation.

Actions

• CSHR to support departments to achieve Carer Confident accreditation.
• CSHR to support departments to move to a higher level of accreditation where they wish to do so.
• Departments to support their agencies to achieve accreditation.
• CSHR to work with Employers for Carers, the Charity for Civil Servants and other organisations to identify and communicate best practice in supporting carers.
• Departments to consider participating in other accreditation schemes which recognise carer provision.