About Us
What is Working for Carers?
Working for Carers is a London-wide project that supports unpaid carers, aged 25 or over, to move closer to employment. The project is led by Carers Trust and delivered by its network of partners across London. Working for Carers is funded by the European Social Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund until 31 March 2023. From January 2023, we are no longer registering new participants.
What we have achieved
At the end of December 2022, 1,263 carers and former carers had registered with the project, exceeding the overall target of 1,253. Participants are from all 33 London boroughs.
So far, 58% of those registered with the project have accessed training, 48% have been supported to job-search, 20% have moved into employment, and 13% have accessed volunteering opportunities. 72% of those who have moved into employment reported that they sustained employment for 26 out of 32 weeks.
Participants who move into employment, job-searching and/or training complete a satisfaction survey: 86% reported that their confidence had improved; and 82% said their skills had improved.
Evaluation 2019-2022:
Key findings from the evaluation of the project by Wavehill Social and Economic Research:
- Working for Carers is by design carer friendly and is therefore likely to appeal to carers seeking to move back into employment. The majority of participants have a current caring role when they register.
- The biggest barrier to moving into employment for carers is finding work or education/training that fits around the caring role; this is followed by low confidence and skills that are not up-to-date.
- 82% are economically inactive (not in employment or actively job-searching) when they register with the project, which is significantly higher than all projects funded by Building Better Opportunities (47%).
- Participants who are economically inactive are more likely to require pre-employability support: space to consider their needs and barriers to employment, and make an informed decision about next steps.
- A holistic approach to supporting carers to move into and sustain employment is important, which considers support needed at different stages:
- Pre-employability: encouraging carers to transition into actively seeking work
- Employability: supporting carers to progress into work
- Employment: supporting working carers and encouraging employers to adopt carer friendly policies.
- The most effective mechanism for promoting the project and generating referrals is through the development and management of strong local referral networks.
The first phase of the project (2016-2019) was evaluated by Ecorys. The full report and executive summary are available to download.
Want to know more? Call us on 020 8868 5224 Ext 218/208
Why we do it
Unpaid carers are often invisible while they make an incredible contribution to their family, friends and the society. Most of their lives are based around the person they look after, and our aim is to look after them. Our mission is to help carers see the value in themselves, increase their motivation and energy and take back the control of their life.
What we do
- Support carers to pursue their employment goals through confidence building and skills development.
Offer a flexible service that considers individual needs and ambitions. - Engage with local businesses and organisations to create employment, training and volunteering opportunities for carers.
- Highlight the benefits of employing carers, adopting carer friendly policies, and understanding the needs of carers in the workplace.
How we do it
We provide carers with free support, designed to meet their individual needs and delivered in their local area. This includes:
- One to one support and advice with a dedicated Employment Personal Advisor
- Group activities and training workshops
- Assistance with writing CVs and interview techniques
- Help with job search
- Access to employment, volunteering and training opportunities
Who we can help
- unpaid carer or former carer
- aged 25 and over
- living in London
- not in any paid work
To find out more about our free services, please use the below call us on 020 8868 5224 Ext 218 or email workingforcarers@harrowcarers.org
For the Working for Carers flyer click here
Useful Information
Download our factsheets for carers seeking work and training. They are aimed at carers in London but are also useful for carers across the UK. They have been developed as part of the Working for Carers project.
Contact Details?
For carers in Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Enfield, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon or Hounslow:
Tel: 020 8868 5224 Ext 218
Email: workingforcarers@harrowcarers.org
For carers in Barking and Dagenham, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets or Waltham Forest:
Tel: 020 8514 6251
Email: wfc@rcss.org.uk
For carers in Camden, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton, or Westminster:
Tel: 020 7428 8950
Email: wfc@camdencarers.org.uk
For carers in Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, City, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark or Wandsworth:
Tel: 020 8699 8686
Email: workingforcarers@carerslewisham.org.uk