EMPLOYMENT
Balancing work and caring responsibilities can feel overwhelming. Many carers want to return to work, but it can be hard to know where to start. We are here to support you with clear advice, local connections, and practical tools.
Plan for employment or getting back into work
Millions of people in the UK are juggling paid employment with their caring responsibilities.
The recent ONS Census 2021 in England and Wales found that there are just under 2.5 million carers in employment (excluding full-time students) – 9% of the total number of people in employment.
Of those, 2 million are employees, and 445,000 are self-employed. Many people are combining employment with high levels of care: over 400,000 people in paid employment are also providing over 50 hours of care per week.
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Caring is most likely to impact at a peak of a career, but can affect all ages.
At some point, you may decide you want to combine work with caring, or you may want to work if your caring role changes or ends. Carers UK suggest ways to identify and develop your skills and gain confidence to find the type of employment you would find fulfilling. More information from Carers UK can be found here.
*Providing these links does not mean that The Carers’ Support Service endorses the organisation. The Carers’ Support Service accepts no liability for any losses or damages caused by using these services. Please do you own research, be aware that other organisations are available and find the right provider/support for your needs
Identify your skills and interests
If you’re not sure what you would like to do, it might be helpful to list the skills and interests you have, particularly noting what you’ve found satisfying or fulfilling.
Consider the skills you have gained from:
- any paid work that you have done
- any volunteering work you’ve undertaken
- your role as a carer
Examples of some skills you might have gained from your caring responsibilities:
- Prioritising and organising
- Time management
- Managing a budget
- Managing a schedule
- Negotiating with professionals
- Communication skills
- Learning new skills quickly and efficiently (ie if you needed to learn how to move and handle someone, use certain equipment or administer medication)
When thinking about your interests, consider:
- What you enjoy doing
- How you would like to use your skills
- Things you miss doing that you once did, eg from previous work or volunteering.
Understanding your rights at work
Balancing work and caring can feel tough, but you do have rights. Knowing them can make work more manageable and help you feel more supported.
Flexible working
Flexible working
You have the legal right to ask for flexible working. This could mean starting later, finishing earlier, compressing your hours into fewer days, or sometimes working from home. Employers must consider your request fairly. They can only refuse for genuine business reasons.
Time off for dependants
Time off for dependants
Every employee can take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off for emergencies involving someone they care for. This covers sudden illness, a breakdown in care arrangements, or other urgent situations. You do not have to give lots of notice, but you should tell your employer as soon as possible.
Protection from discrimination
Protection from discrimination
Carers are protected under the Equality Act 2010. This is called “associative discrimination.” It means an employer cannot treat you unfairly because you care for someone with a disability or long-term condition. If you ever feel this is happening, you have the right to raise a concern or seek advice.
Other workplace rights you may have
Other workplace rights you may have
- Parental leave: If you are a working parent, you may qualify for unpaid parental leave.
- Statutory sick pay: You may receive this if your caring role affects your health and you need time off.
- Carer’s Leave (new in 2024): Employees can now take up to one week of unpaid carer’s leave each year. This is specifically for employees providing or arranging care for a dependant with a long-term need.
More information can be found here on GOV.UK’s “Caring for someone” page. You’ll find sections on flexible working, time off for dependants, unpaid carer’s leave, and related employment rights
Additionally, for more detailed, guidance the ACAS “Carer’s leave” page is helpful. This page explains the new statutory carer’s leave and how it interacts with other rights.
Where to get trusted advice
Where to get trusted advice
Knowing your rights helps you have open, confident conversations with employers. It can also make combining work and caring a little easier.
Volunteering as a first step
Volunteering can help build new skills, meet people, and improve confidence. Many carers find volunteering helps them decide what type of work they want.
You can find local opportunities through us here at the Carers Support Service. The team of volunteers across both North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire provided 3587 hours of volunteering between June 2024- and June 2025.
“After taking time off to raise my children, volunteering was a vital step in getting back into work. It boosted my confidence, built my CV, gave me meaningful real-world experience, and helped me secure the references I needed to restart my career.” Donna
Do your research
You could have a look on some careers websites to try and identify the sort of job that matches your skills and interests.
The National Careers Service has a Skills Health Check which involves a set of quizzes and activities designed to help you explore your skills and interests. This might be useful to help you decide what job might be right for you.
Once you have identified the kind of jobs that might match your skills and interests, you could then have a look on the National Careers Service Job Profiles, which explain the skills and qualifications needed to get into certain jobs, what the work would be like, the pay you could expect and what the career prospects are.
Once you have identified possible jobs, you could then look into any training you might need to build your confidence or refresh skills you used to have.
Further your learning
If you’re trying to work out whether any particular training courses would be suitable for the types of jobs you want, you could get in touch with the National Careers Service. They have advisers who can provide information and guidance on developing skills and training.
Alternatively, you could search for specific courses on the National Careers Service website – many online courses are free. You could alternatively speak to any local colleges or universities to see if they run any suitable courses.
If you need some help with the cost of any courses, then you could try the following:
- There are sometimes grants you can apply for – you could run a more general grants search with a charity called Turn2us who have a database of lots of different grant giving organisations. If you need support to find funding, give the Carers’ Support Service a call and we can try and help you with your search.
- There are sometimes specific education grants and bursaries that you can apply for – the GOV.UK website also has some information on this for adult learners
- Local educational establishments sometimes offer discounts to people on certain benefits, so if you are claiming benefits or are on a low income, it is worth finding out what discounts or concessions your local educational establishments offer.
- Click on these links to see what courses the local colleges are offering
- if you are still caring for someone, you could have a Carer’s Assessment
Interview practice & mock interview sites/tools
Barclays Life Skills: Virtual Interview practice
This tool gives you an easy way to prepare for interviews across different industries, giving you the option to record yourself or type out your responses to questions, helping you refine your answers to get the job.
Free practice area for video interviewing along with expert advice on how to prepare and the different types. Records you answering standard interview questions so you can practice and develop your virtual interviewing skills.
Calm your interview nerves with this advice on the best ways to prepare for an interview, example interview questions, tips on interview technique, practice psychometric tests, and help with phone and video interviews.
Useful employment resources and links
Local organisations
Local organisations
NELC Adult Careers Team (North East Lincolnshire)
This is a public service, free to access for residents of North East Lincolnshire. They support with CV writing, interview skills, signposting to training and jobs.
The Jobs Team is a department within the North Lincolnshire Council who provide all aspects of employment support to residents who are unemployed, looking for a change of career or just in need of some extra support. They provide information, advice and guidance on job searching, interview skills, CVs, help accessing traineeships and apprenticeships, 12 week support plans, and help with application forms, and host weekly job clubs.
National organisations
National organisations
JobHelp – Government advice for job seekers
Support to help you get “job ready” and find work
National Careers Service – Career advice, CV support, and training guidance
Providing careers information, advice and guidance, helping you make decisions at all stages in your career.
Skills for Care – Information about roles in social care
Thinking about putting the skills you have developed as a Carer into your career? Find a job role that suits you and your interests in adult social care.
Gov.uk – Carer’s Allowance and work – Check how employment may affect your benefits
Information from the Government on Carers Allowance and working.
Finding a new job requires some planning, persistence, and little project management. This site has information on how to find a job.
Information for Young Adult Carers aged 18 to 24 on working and being a Carer.
This site explains managing paid work and Caring, including your rights in work and requesting flexible working.
*Providing these links does not mean that The Carers’ Support Service endorses the organisation. The Carers’ Support Service accepts no liability for any losses or damages caused by using these services. Please do you own research, be aware that other organisations are available and find the right provider/support for your needs
Carers’ Support Service is here to make sure unpaid carers are seen, supported and never left to struggle alone.
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