Carers Rights Day - 25 November 2021
BASW England strongly supports Carers Rights Day and the need for Carers to know and to be made aware of their rights.
The contribution of families, loved ones, and those in an unpaid caring role during the pandemic has been incredible. We know the impact that has had on the lives of carers who are often juggling the responsibilities of caring with other competing demands.
Carers UK report that during the pandemic a staggering 2.8 million workers became unpaid carers virtually overnight. This took the level of caring from an estimated one in seven workers pre-pandemic to one in five.
Things have got tougher for carers with 81% taking on more care often because the needs of the person they are caring for have increased. From <https://www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/news/employers-more-supportive-of-caring-but-carers-still-at-risk-of-leaving-work-unless-more-measures-adopted>
Research carried out by Carers UK entitled Supporting carers at work: opportunity and imperative’ published today to coincide with Carers Rights Day, identified that the biggest risk factor to carers leaving work was the lack of social care.
Carers UK have identified six important rights that carers have.
They are the right to:
- Be protected from discrimination
- Request to be identified as a carer
- To be consulted on hospital discharge
- Request a free flu jab
- Receive a carer’s assessment
- Request flexible working
Social workers also have a key role to play in supporting carers, such as providing information, advice and guidance with a focus on rights and entitlements.
Carers deserve and need recognition at a national level for all they do. BASW England recognises the government's pledge to introduce up to one week of unpaid Carers Leave and the consultation on day one rights to request flexible working. However, we recognise that this does not go far enough, and we support the call from Carers UK for the introduction of legislation to protect Carers in the workplace.