Fiona Lord, has worked for the NHS for over 20 years and for the Trust since 2014 and wanted to share her experience of working full time whilst taking care of her son with complex additional needs.
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK.
Fiona starts by explaining:
“My son will be 18 this year and over the years I have seen his caring needs change and evolve and increase over time. He has complex needs with diagnosis including autism, epilepsy, learning disabilities and ADHD. I have always wanted to maintain my own career and work so that is why supporting carers is so important.”
Fiona’s role is a strategic one working in the Workforce Analytic Planning and Development team in the Integrated Care Board People Directorate, and since Covid has seen a change to working arrangements. Before the pandemic Fiona worked in the office full time which often presented logistical challenges of having two children who attend two different schools and having to leave the office to meet her son after school as he travels by school transport.
Fiona has been supported to continue to work from home and now works from home full time but with the flexibility to attend onsite meetings when needed.
Fiona continues:
“Covid presented many challenges to many people but the impact felt by carers during this time was stressful. My son could continue to attend his school but not full time. I was supported to take a carers day, one day a week, which meant I could support my son during the unsettling changes to his routine whilst not having to be impacted financially.
I have also taken advantage of the opportunity to buy additional annual leave, as holiday clubs for children with additional needs can often be limited or unavailable so this removes some of the pressure during school holidays.”
Figures suggest that over 5 million people in the UK are unpaid carers for family, friends and loved ones and additional NHS figures show that nearly one in three (31%) NHS employees have unpaid caring responsibilities.
Fiona concludes:
“I’ve always felt supported with my carers needs but I appreciate this isn’t always the case for everyone. I have found personally that being a carer can mean that there is a nervousness to changing roles and re-establishing yourself as you don’t know whether the new team will be understanding and supportive.
I would encourage anyone who acts as a carer to reach out to their manager to discuss the support and options available to them. I know lots of people in the parent and carer world who have had to stop working as they don’t have the same level of support, so I’m glad my experience has been different.”
A list of support organisations can be found here.
