Helena signs up to Carers' Charter

Friday 23rd April 2010

Helena Partnerships is the first employer in St Helens to sign up to a commitment to support those staff with caring responsibilities at home.

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers' has created an Employers Charter for Carers, which sets out aims and objectives for employers to implement into the workplace over a period of time to support staff with caring responsibilities. The voluntary agreement has been established, and is monitored, by St Helens Carers Centre.

The objectives are designed to assist companies in supporting the carers who already work for them and to attract carers to their workforce.

Helena has several staff who have caring responsibilities in their home life.

Suzanne Noble, who works for the company has a four year-old son who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a genetic disease that affects muscle movement, he is severely disabled and between going to school needs physiotherapy three times a day.

Suzanne said: "The company have been really flexible to suit my needs as a carer and signing up to the Charter will hopefully help to raise the profile of the support available to all different levels of carers out there."

Another member of staff, Ceri Kilmartin, has caring responsibilities for her husband who suffers from vascular dementia, among other health problems.

She said: "It offers peace of mind to know that you're working for an employer who recognises how they can help accommodate people with caring responsibilities outside of work.

"Helena put me in touch with St Helens Carers Centre who have been able to offer me help and advice. I retire in the summer, but signing up to the Charter shows a real commitment to current and future employees of Helena Partnerships."

Peter Sinnott, Training and Employer Development Officer from St Helens Carers Centre, added: "Helena Partnerships is leading the way by showing their commitment to supporting working carers. Employers who sign the Charter will actively be making a positive difference to the lives of working carers in the borough."

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