Information for Staff

We recommend you speak with your line manager, in confidence, about your caring responsibilities and needs to determine if any support at work is necessary.

The University has a number of policies that may support its staff with caring responsibilities:

• Recognising that care provision may require a different work pattern, our Flexible Working Policy allows staff to request alteration to the hours that they work, the days or time of day that they work or their place of work.
• Job sharing provides an opportunity for staff to work part time in a full time position.
• For academic staff with teaching responsibilities, the Teaching Availability Requests Policy provides for an annual submission of preferred teaching times.
• Recognising that staff with caring responsibilities cannot always plan when they need time off, the Emergency Leave Policy provides for leave to deal with unexpected or sudden emergencies involving a dependant.
• When care provisions are affected by adverse weather, line managers, under our Adverse Weather Guidelines, will take into account a carers need to leave work or change working patterns.

We have a number of services that may provide support to its staff with caring responsibilities:

• The University has a number of staff networksthat bring together staff from various departments (academic and professional support) that identify with the particular network group.
• We have a team of in-house coaches you can work with to enable you to reach your full potential.
• Our Counselling Service provides self-help and confidential counselling services for when you need to take care of yourself.
• We have a world class sport facility, The Graham Sports Centre, with special membership rates available to staff.

There are a number of external resources available to carers within the community you may find useful:

• Durham County Carers – www.dccarers.org – offers free support and advice to carers.
• Carers Trust - https://carers.org/ - provides information, advice and support to carers.
• Carers UK - https://www.carersuk.org/ - lobbies and campaigns to promote carers’ rights.
• NHS Carers Direct - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support/ - provides information for those needing care support and carers.
• Sibs is a charity that supports the siblings of disabled children and adults in the UK - https://www.sibs.org.uk/. Sibs have a network of peer support groups run by trained volunteers, including one in the North East (based online for now) - https://www.sibs.org.uk/support-for-adult-siblings/.