Supporting family dementia carers returning to work

One of the winners of last years Dementia Trust Disruption Awards was Dementia Carers Count (DCC) a national charity that specifically supports family carers looking after someone with dementia. This blog describes their successful project in the words of Sue Hinds, head of services, and Rachel Allen, care support and services officer.

“Every day we hear from carers who tell us that they're unable to continue in paid work alongside their caring responsibilities. When they then try to return to work, it's difficult to explain the gaps in their CV and the wealth of experience they have gained through their caring role. DCC is proud to have received a grant from DSDT to support carers in these challenging circumstances.

The aim of the "Working + Caring" project was to enable carers to recognise their skills, develop confidence, build self-esteem and appreciate the personal development they have made in their role as carers. The project provided an opportunity to explore how the skills gained through caring can be transferred to the workplace when, and if, the person wishes to return to work (this may be because their caring role comes to an end, their circumstances change, or they wish to make a career change).

The benefits of returning to work aren't just economic. Carers find that their sense of identity and purpose, as well as the support networks that can be built at work, strengthen personal wellbeing. However, carers who want to return to work can face several barriers. These include:

·       a lack of flexible working opportunities and suitable jobs

·       a lack of affordable care for the person being cared for

·       negative attitudes or discrimination from employers

·       low self-esteem and a lack of confidence

Yet we know that carers develop so many skills that are valuable to employers, such as problem solving, communication, empathy, adaptability and flexibility - to name but a few!

We believe it's important that those returning to work are encouraged to recognise this. Therefore, the project started with a series of webinars on topics such as the recognition of skill development in a caring role, the emotional aspects of returning to work and how to get started. We invited employment experts from different sectors and a clinical psychologist to support us.

Sue Hinds, Head of Services; Dawn Newey, Coach and Career Consultant; Dr Gemima Fitzgerald, Clinical Psychologist.

Alongside this professional advice, we know that informal support such as networks for carers and time spent with others in similar situations can be valuable in boosting people's confidence and self-esteem. So, we wanted to make this a focus of the project. We offered time and space for carers to share and talk about fears, hopes and new learning.

Following the webinars, we worked with four carers who were considering returning to work to coach and support them in decision making, confidence and plan next steps. The coaching has produced some wonderful results, such as better personal preparation for meetings, more confidence in expressing thoughts and feelings, and the ability to access support when needed. This has resulted in carers showing more resilience when they return to work.

At DCC we have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with carers in this way and are keen to continue to learn and expand the range of support available. Each carer is unique, complex and must juggle a range of commitments. If you'd like to know more or are considering returning to work and would like coaching, please get in touch: support@dementiacarers.org.uk”

Sandra McDonald, chair of the Trust has said,

“Congratulations to the team from DCC. It has been good to see the progress made over the year.”