About the carers' network

The idea for the carer’s network was a result of the Staff Survey 2019 results, which indicated that a significant number of College staff have caring responsibilities not related to childcare. Carers focus group meetings were scheduled in late February for staff to come forward and confidentially share their stories and current situations. Through this we obtained a valuable insight into the trials and triumphs of being in employment and also (in most cases) a full-time carer at the same time.

What is a carer?

A carer is someone of any age who looks after and supports a partner, child, other family member or friend who could not manage without their help due to age, illness, disability, addiction or a mental health condition. The carer does not receive payment for their caring responsibilities.

Current carer facts

It is estimated that there are currently 7 million people in the UK who are carers- 58% of those are female and 42% are male. According to Carers UK, another 6000 people in the UK take on caring responsibilities everyday with 600 of those giving up work every day to focus on their caring responsibilities full time. College staff who are providing care for another individual are twice as likely to be permanently unwell. According to the Carers UK 2018 survey, 72% of carers confirmed they had suffered a mental health condition, 61% confirmed they had suffered a physical health condition whilst 80% stated that they felt lonely or socially isolated.