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Carers Policy equality impact assessment

First published

01 Jun 2022

Last updated

01 Jun 2022

Name of new policy

Carers Policy

Purpose of this policy

Purpose:

The purpose of the COPFS Carers policy is to assist employees who have caring duties for a for a friend, partner, or family member who, due to illness, disability, frailty or old age, a mental health problem or an addiction, cannot cope without their support.

COPFS recognises that carers can face multiple
challenges and that these can have an impact on their ability to manage their work life balance currently or at some point in the future. Common examples include the impact on carer’s:

  • Physical health and wellbeing - from lifting and aiding a dependent to get up or move around, to undertaking household tasks and shopping.
  • Mental health - from the emotional pressures, tiredness and stress that can accompany caring, as well as the isolation and loneliness many experiences.
  • Financial situation - for example from home adaptations and specialised transport requirements.
  • Time - from trying to manage caring
    responsibilities in addition to wider family and work commitments.

This policy describes processes and resources
which can be used to support the caring
responsibilities of any COPFS employee who meets the criteria.

Additional information

Lead EIA Officer:

HR Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing Advisor

Team/function:

HR/Business Services

Email address:

DiversityTeam@copfs.gov.uk

Others involved:

  • HR Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing
    Manager
  • HR Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing
  • Head of Carers Network
  • PCS
  • COPFS Carers Network
  • FDA
  • Carer Positive

Date assessment completed: 

23 June 2022

Background details about new policy / process

This new policy was fully assessed for any equality impact based on the General Equality Duty of the Equality Act (2010):

COPFS employees are likely to have to care for others at some point in their working lives. COPFS exceeds the statutory minimum standards regarding the support it provides to carers through its special leave, flexible working, and family friendly policies.

Managers can provide significant support to carers through considerate use of the following COPFS policies:

  • Agile Working
  • Alternative Working Arrangements
  • Compassionate Transfer
  • Special Leave
  • Flexitime
  • Family Leave
  • Career Breaks, and
  • Partial Retirement

Some employees may be required to manage the constant care for a person, while others may intermittently care for another, which is vital to the dependant. COPFS acknowledges that there are many ‘caring’ types of situations which place varying demands on employees with caring responsibilities (depending on, say, their dependent’s mobility, mental state, and any requirement they may have to attend
appointments, travel to specialists, have shopping done and have support for home-visits).

COPFS recognises that all its employees now are working longer (to later retirement dates) in an ageing society – this means calls for caring from COPFS employees are likely to increase.

COPFS endeavours to help those who are carers, and those who will become carers. As an organisation, it will consult with its people and benchmark best UK practices to do this.

Summary of research and consultation carried out:

Details Source of evidence

Review of data from COPFS Equality Mainstreaming Report, 2021.

As a result of the data gathering equality monitoring activity carried out in 2021, it is anticipated that within COPFS there are in the region of 280+ carers who have identified themselves as carers.

In May 2022 - we indicated that we had a head count of
circa 2300 employees, and we believe there are more carers within our workforce still to disclose their carer status
which is one of COPFS’s aims with this policy.

 Equality Mainstreaming Report 2019 to 2021 | COPFS
A range of information was examined including the Scottish Government Equality Evidence Finder. Scottish Government Equality Evidence Finder

CIPD provide resources which helped aid our discussions
around the carers policy:

  • ‘A guide to becoming a carer-friendly workplace’
    shares the following information:
    • discusses what is a ‘working carer’
    • examines the impact of COVID-19 on working carers
    • considers the business, legal and moral reasons for care-friendly workplaces
    • outlines five ways to help employers create a supportive workplace.
  • ‘Flexible working and carers announcements in the Queen’s Speech’ as the Queen said the government would 'bring forward measures to support working families' including support for flexible working, extending unpaid carers leave entitlement, extending redundancy protections to prevent pregnancy and maternity discrimination and extending leave for
    neonatal care. CIPD looked at each of these areas, in further detail.
  • ‘Carer Policy’ this policy set out the details of the
    support that employers can offer to employees who have caring responsibilities. The policy includes:
    • A definition of a carer,
    • Describes the responsibilities of both managers and employees
    • The steps that may be taken to arrange
      flexible working or time off for carers.

Carer-friendly workplaces: Guide for people professionals | CIPD

 

Flexible working and carers announcements in the Queen’s Speech | CIPD

 

Carer's leave policy | CIPD HR-inform

Carer Positive aims to encourage employers to create a supportive working environment for carers in the workplace.

The Carer Positive award is presented to employers in
Scotland who have a working environment where carers are
valued and supported. Carer Positive employers recognise
the importance of retaining experienced members of staff,
reducing absence, and cutting down on avoidable recruitment costs.

In May 2022, COPFS was a awarded the ‘Engaged Level’
accreditation from Carers Scotland through a virtual
webinar/presentation for everyone to join. The COPFS
Carers network and policy will continue to be part of this
evolution and will determine how COPFS makes employment decisions about those who have caring responsibilities. COPFS will continue to seek further
accreditation levels as an Established Carer Positive
employer.

Carer Positive were consulted on a draft version of the policy in December 2022 and provided feedback and refinements to the policy which were agreed and included

 Carer Positive the standard for employers in creating supportive working environment for carers

In July 2019, COPFS set up a carers’ network which has been a great success. The network exists to support colleagues who have caring responsibilities, helping colleagues get the support they need. The network also works with COPFS to:

  • Meet our equalities obligations as an employer and service provider.
  • Promote the health and wellbeing of colleagues who are carers.
  • Promote COPFS as a caring employer and service provider.

During Carers Week the network shared experiences of
caring through internal communications and brought caring to the consciousness of managers and colleagues.

 COPFS Carers
Network/Equality
Ambassadors

SCTS provided COPFS with their ‘Carer’s policy – caring in
the Scottish Courts and Tribunal service’ which set out the details of the support that SCTS offer to employees who
have caring responsibilities.

Carer Positive provided example policies from a number of organisations across Scotland which were used to benchmark and guide the development of this policy. The employers included:

  • Scottish Water
  • Carers of West Dunbartonshire
  • Dumfries and Galloway Council
  • The University of Edinburgh
 External
organisations

Carers UK provides facts and figures to assist when creating the Carers Policy. For example:

  • 1 in 8 adults (around 6.5 million people) are carers.
  • 58% of carers are women and 42% are men.
  • People providing high levels of care are twice as likely to be permanently sick or disabled.
  • As of 2020, Carers UK estimates there are around 13.6 million people caring through the pandemic.
 Key facts and figures | Carers UK

Attendance at the quarterly Employers Network for
supporting Carers, organised by VOCAL. This allowed to
benchmark for best practice in development on the policy
This is a multi-sector network where members share best
practice and learning with open discussions on supporting carers in the workplace.

VOCAL offered expertise from within the sector, advising
on legislative developments, carer research, and assisting
with policy review.

 Peer support network - VOCAL

The Civil Service template for devising a Carer’s Passport
was used to benchmark the standard for COPFS Carer’s
Passport.

The design of the passport enables a carer and their
manager to discuss and document the flexibilities needed to combine caring and work. The aim is to minimise the need to re-negotiate these flexibilities every time an employee moves post, moves between departments or is assigned a new manager.

 Carer's Passport - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Equality Ambassadors contacted:

(If none, please give reasons why)

  • COPFS Carers Network
  • All COPFS Equality Ambassadors contacted
  • COPFS Corporate Health and Wellbeing Committee
  • COPFS Equality Board

Impact

The research and consultation have identified potential impacts on the following groups:

Protected
characteristic		 Yes No Please explain impact
Age X  

This policy is intended to ensure the fair treatment of all employees who would like to request carers leave. The impacts are likely to be positive. For example, the policy will assist employees who have specific
caring responsibilities and require emergency leave.

According to carer positive 90% of working carers are over the age of 30 years and the peak age for caring is 45 – 64 years.

Caring falls particularly on women in their 40s, 50s and 60s. 1 in 4 women aged 50-64 has caring responsibilities for older or disabled loved ones (Census 2011).
Disability X  

This policy may enhance the support and assistance available to employees who have a responsibility of caring for a dependent who is affected by long term illness, disability, or addiction. It will be promoting the key role of carers, therefore aiming to reduce and eliminate discrimination related to this.
Gender reassignment   X

This protected characteristic is not impacted by this policy.
Marriage and civil partnership     This protected characteristic is not impacted by this policy.
Pregnancy and maternity   X This protected characteristic is not impacted by this policy.
Race   X

This protected characteristic is not impacted by this policy.
Religion or belief   X This protected characteristic is not impacted by this policy.
Sex X  

This policy will be available for all COPFS employee to access carers support and assistance. Overall, women are more likely
to take on caring roles than men. Of the 6.5 million unpaid carers in the UK 58% - 3.34 million - are women (Census 2011).

Also, women are also more likely to be ‘sandwich’ carers - caring for young children and elderly parents at the same time (Carers UK (2000) It Could Be You and
Carers UK (2014) Caring & Family Finances Inquiry UK Report).

Women are more likely to have given up work or reduced working hours to care,
particularly in their 40s-60s. Women aged 45-54 are more than twice as likely than men to have given up work to care and
over four times more likely to have reduced working hours due to caring responsibilities
(YouGov polling 2013).
Sexual orientation   X

This protected characteristic is not impacted by this policy.

 

Key issues identified

(Note here if you conclude there are no equality issues relating to the new / revised policy)

Feedback from the Equality Ambassadors network and Trade Union identified the
following issues:

  • The financial cost and practicality of the policy form an operational perspective.
  • Carers’ Week’ highlighted the requirement of promoting and sharing
    awareness caring is essential. Also, how caring can relate in many ways in other protected characteristics.
  • Concern raised around Occupational Health provider assessing who meets
    criteria to be classed as carer- revised to provide guidance and support for line managers to make this decision.
  • Requirement to review Carers Passport- highlighted that managers should be informed and up to date of caring responsibilities of employee. Commitment that this should be done at quarterly conversations at a minimum. 

Changes made to new policy

Following feedback from the first draft the following changes were made:

  • Carers Policy and Carers Procedure separated as one document and made into two documents to provide clarity around procedural elements of the policy.
  • Bespoke “Carers Passport” created to support carers where current Workplace Adjustment Passport process did not meet needs of those with caring responsibilities.
  • Carer Passport guidance for employees and line manager developed to support completion of Carers Passport.
  • COPFS Carers Register developed to capture employees who identify as having caring responsibilities.
  • Adding in the Carers Positive accreditation status and commitment to attain highest level to ensure COPFS staff continues to put relevant support in place
    for those with caring responsibilities.
  • Wording around definition of Carer following Carer Positive Feedback
  • Life After Caring section added.
  • Sources of support updated following Carer Positive and VOCAL feedback
    including Adult Care Support Plan.
  • Compassionate Care Leave given own section within policy.
  • Compassionate Care Leave Application Form Created.
  • Carers Procedure process flow developed to give visual representation of the steps that may be undertaken in being added to the COPFS Carers Register.

Review process for policy

The policy will be reviewed every five years, or earlier, if necessary, to meet legislative or business requirements.

Send this completed form to:

DiversityTeam@copfs.gov.uk

Assessment records can be made available in alternative formats or languages on request

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