Dealing with change when you are working

If there is a change in the condition of the person you care for, you may need to ask for some help to manage your working life.

There are a number of steps you can take:

  1. Talk to your manager about getting some time off work if you need it. Find out more about support for carers at work, including taking time off.
  2. Talk to your manager about any adjustments to your working arrangements that might help deal with the current emergency.
  3. Make sure you have a carer's assessment and the person you care for has an assessment of their needs too.
  4. If your caring responsibilities are going to increase in the long term, at some point it may be worth talking to your manager about your job and the possibility of changing your working arrangements (for instance could you work at home on some days?).
  5. Your local carer service will be able to give advice and direct you to other local services. It may be useful just to be able to talk things through – especially if you and the person you care for have different views about the best plan for the future.
  6. You could organise help with personal care, a day centre place, a sitting service, all of which may make an  difference to you and the person you care for. You may need to pay for some of these depending on your circumstances.  Find out more about getting a break.
  7. In some circumstances you may need to think about whether the person you care for may need to be looked after by a care home. 
  8. Look for an individual or organisation that can help you. Some large employers have a confidential welfare service.

Date revised: 28/09/2018