Here at the University we recognise the hard work of those who have caring responsibilities.
For students we have the Student Retention Team in Student Support, who provide advice and guidance before students arrive and during their studies, and ensure carers are accessing all possible support at the University. You can find out more here about support for students with caring responsibilities. You can also read about the experiences of Young Adult Carers who have studied here over on the blog from Sophia, Tia and Amber.
For staff, recently we have updated the Leave Policy to take account of changes in the law which allow for unpaid leave for carers in various circumstances. Also the Culture and Inclusion team support the staff network for carers. We spoke to Kate Evans, Co-chair of the Carers’ Network:
“The network exists to support staff who have caring responsibilities alongside their work here, such as for a partner, child, parent or other family member, or a friend or neighbour. We meet online for an hour every month to share our experiences and practical suggestions, and to support each other – it’s great for carers to have time to chat to others who understand what they’re going through. And throughout the month we have a Teams group for any questions or to share new information we’ve found. Everyone is welcome; we can support you if you’re helping someone after an accident or illness, or are a permanent carer for someone with additional needs or a life-limiting condition. As the theme for 2024 Carers’ Week is ‘Putting carers on the map’ it’s really important that we raise the profile of unpaid care work and do all we can as an employer to support our colleagues.”
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