Life outside caring
Juggling life as a carer often means your needs are last on the list.
Volunteering opportunities for carers
Volunteering can put you in touch with opportunities that are flexible, fun and maybe even offer avenues to develop your career and personal skills.
In East Renfrewshire, there are hundreds of opportunities to volunteer - many more than you might imagine. And there are lots more reasons for volunteering than you might imagine too. Volunteering in your community might just have some spin off benefits you didn't think about.
Refer to external website link for contact details of Voluntary Action to help match your interests and needs with an opportunity.
Learning opportunities for carers
Many carers find it helpful to do something for themselves outside of caring. Our adult learning services can help match you to the learning opportunity that is right for you, whether it be building up your confidence, building on your skills or developing a new interest.
Caring and Employment
Your rights in work
As a carer it can be difficult to balance caring and work responsibilities. Many employers have developed carer- friendly policies to support staff in their caring role or returning to work from caring. Carers have the right to request flexible working.
The Employment Act (2002) gave the right to request flexible working to working parents of children under the age of six (or 18 if the child has special needs).
From 6 April 2007 the government extended this right, so that it now also applies to employees who care for an adult.
Many employers already have flexible working policies as they recognise that this helps employees achieve a better work/life balance.
Getting back to work
If you are thinking of returning to work and would require advice or support to do so there are a number of programmes and development opportunities open to carers and ex carers. WorkER is the name for all the services in East Renfrewshire who can help you find a job or training for a new job.
