At LiveWest, we understand that many of our colleagues may be responsible for caring for a family member or friend who has a disability, mental or physical illness, addiction, or who needs extra help as they grow older.
While caring can be extremely rewarding, it can also be stressful and isolating if carers don’t get the support they need. Many can feel stretched physically, psychologically and financially, juggling work, care and family commitments.
We want to recognise these colleagues for the difficulties they are experiencing, respect them for all they are doing, and provide them with the information and support they need to care safely.
We spoke to Hosanna, our IMS Central Support Hub Administrator, who has been a carer for her Grandma since moving in with her in 2020.
Speaking about what it's like to be a carer and the support that she has received from LiveWest, Hosanna said, “One day in October 2020 I had a phone call at work from my uncle, to let me know that Grandma had been taken to hospital with a heart attack. When she came home, I was able to take leave and then work from home so that I could look after her there.
“So life with Grandma now, her mobility isn't great and she can't really see much, her hearing isn't great either. So she needs a lot more entertaining, as she can't really do that for herself. She needs help with pretty much everything.
“It feels great every time she smiles and to see the comfort and the difference that I'm making is a big reward to know that I can do that for her.
“LiveWest has been really supportive with me as a carer and my manager has been great, very supportive. They have been there for me when I have needed to take leave at short notice, to take her to the emergency department or to appointments.
“I have the flexibility to work from home but also the ability to work from the office when I need that time to focus and have time away from the situation.
“Being able to work flexibly has allowed me to be there for Grandma when I need to and I've been able to make time up outside of normal working hours when I need to as well, which has been really useful”.
We appreciate that every colleague's home life is unique to them, so we will tailor the support we put in place to each colleague's individual situation.
When it comes to caring for a dependant, whether they are a child or an older family member, there are several ways that we offer support to our colleagues to help them balance their work and home responsibilities.
We have recently introduced career breaks, supporting colleagues who need a set amount of time out of the business to support a dependant.
We also offer a range of wellbeing support. When you are caring for someone, it can be hard to find the time to meet your own needs. We want to ensure our colleagues eat and sleep well, find the time to exercise and manage their stress levels. We have a range of recorded webinars and exercise videos available to colleagues, to support their mental, physical and financial wellbeing.
Our Employee Assistance Programme is a confidential counselling and advice service that is available 24/7 to support colleagues with their wellbeing. This service can also offer advice and support with benefits and grants, social services, aids and adaptations, taking on a caring role and residential facilities.
It is common to feel lonely or isolated as a carer, especially as friends and family might not understand how tough it can be. We have set up an online community for parents and carers, providing a support network for all of our colleagues with caring responsibilities.
For more information on what it's like to work at LiveWest or to find out more about our colleague benefits and support, visit our Careers page.
For further information and support with caring for friends or family, visit the Carers Trust website.
Carers Trust is a major charity for, with and about carers. They work to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems. Their vision is that unpaid carers count and can access the help they need to live their lives.