Shetland Islands Council has been recognised as a Carer Positive Employer after achieving the first of three levels of the Carer Positive award.
Carer Positive is a Scottish Government initiative developed by Carers Scotland, to help employers support staff with caring responsibilities and to raise awareness of the challenges facing working carers.
The Council recognises that there are some staff who provide unpaid care to dependants who may be affected by long-term illness, disability or addiction. This Carer Positive recognition acknowledges that the Council provides a variety of leave types and policies that support carers, including flexible working arrangements, depending on the individual’s circumstances and the needs of the service.
The Carer Positive award incorporates 3 levels from ‘Engaged’ to ‘Established’ through to ‘Exemplary’. The Council has achieved the ‘Engaged’ level of the award and is now working towards enhancing the support offered to working carers, to achieve the ‘Established’ level of award.
Denise Bell, Executive Manager, Human Resources, said: “We are delighted to have achieved the first level of the Carer Positive award. We are committed to supporting our employees with caring responsibilities and this is an important step forward in delivering our Workforce Plan.”
More information on the Carer Positive initiative can be found at: https://www.carerpositive.org/