A survey in 2019 showed that only 20 percent of NHS staff who were also unpaid carers shared their carer status with their manager. By going unrecognised for their caring responsibilities, these staff members were under increasing pressure in and outside of work which could have impacted on their personal health, finance, and wellbeing.
It is estimated that around one in three NHS employees are currently balancing working and caring responsibilities, so it is important that the Partnership makes sure that working carers are supported, valued and listened to. The Working Carer’s Passport was introduced to support a culture where carers felt able to discuss their situation and felt empowered to work with their manager to find solutions, without the risk of judgement.
A Working Carer’s Passport is a record that can be printed or stored electronically. It identifies the carer and sets out an offer of support, services or other benefits. In the Partnership’s case, it is an agreement between a member of staff who has caring responsibilities and their manager. Special training for managers was introduced to help them have sensitive conversations with their staff about their caring responsibilities.
All West Yorkshire councils, place-based partnerships (formerly CCGs) and hospital trusts across the area have adopted the passport. It provides a straightforward way to document flexible working that can be carried into an employee’s future roles. If a person moves into another role, their new manager will know that member of staff’s situation from day one, cutting down on unnecessary meetings and paperwork.
It has been reported that the NHS in West Yorkshire has the highest number of working carers identified, and the highest number of Working Carer’s Passports registered on its Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system.
Many carers have said that the passport has been instrumental in them being able to continue with their caring and working responsibilities. By supporting working carers in this way, the Partnership hopes to retain 14,000 carers out of 43,000 NHS employees in West Yorkshire.