Connection and support for carers

Ruth is a Legal Director and sponsor of the new Carers' Community at Sopra Steria. Here, she shares her thoughts on the importance of connection and support for those balancing work with caring for a loved one or friend.

I joined Sopra Steria as Legal Director in 2021, having had a long and varied legal career mainly working in-house in large organisations, with the final five years being based in Japan. Living overseas is fabulous, but we wanted to be back in the UK closer to family, particularly our three grown children and their ageing grandmas.

I am at the age where the conversation among friends has shifted from "how are your children?", to "how are you coping with your parents?" It’s estimated that one in five of us are juggling work with some form of caring responsibility. This can be anything from making sure granny's tablets are on order and she is actually taking them, to full time personal care for a friend or relative who is fully dependent on you, perhaps due to short term end of life care or long term as they live with a debilitating condition. The impact on us, our families (and employers) is not just the time demands, but the daily stress and financial commitment this may involve.  

My mother-in law was diagnosed with Alzheimer's two years ago and typical of her generation, wants to stay in her home, a point on which this sweet, lovely lady is resolute. How long this will be sustainable for is unknown. We are fortunate that my husband is able to share the caring responsibilities with his brother and sister, but I have many friends who find themselves the sole carer, largely due to geography. The experience is completely isolating. The challenges in terms of time, emotional drain and financial cost are immense. Navigating "the system", constant medical appointments, the dentist, the ophthalmologist, blood tests, the memory clinic, the hairdresser, are not a joy. Factor in living on a county border and the different health care systems for different issues, and you wonder what else "the system" can do to make life difficult.

The Carer’s lived experience is so common, and yet often so unrecognised in the workplace, that I was completely surprised and absolutely thrilled when I realised our wonderful colleagues in our People and Culture department had identified the need to provide support. At the beginning of 2023, a carers policy and paid leave allowance were introduced. Our Reward team partnered with Lottie, a service that helps you understand, find and fund an elderly loved one’s care. Then this year, a dedicated employee inclusion network has been set up, which I was delighted to be asked to sponsor.

The Carers’ Community is employee-led, being chaired by my wonderful colleague, Juliet. My hope is that the community provides an opportunity for people to connect with colleagues in the same boat, to find some camaraderie, share frustrations and a laugh, and find much needed practical support. So far, we’ve had incredible engagement. People have been sharing their unique situations and others have been providing tips, advice and resources. Our informal catch ups are providing a space for people to talk things through, and our online channels are always available for those preferring to write in or search for information.

At the end of this month, we’re holding a panel event to share the impact of working while having caring responsibilities. We hope this raises awareness of the challenges people in this situation face, increasing the empathy and respect from colleagues.

Considering our Carers’ Community has only recently started out, it’s brilliant to see how many people it’s already making a difference to. Long may it continue!

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