Carers Rights Day

22 November 2022

Taking place Thursday 24 November, the purpose of Carers Rights Day is to ensure:

• Carers are aware of their rights
• Carers know where to get help and support
• Raising awareness of the needs of carers

The theme for this year’s Carers Rights Day is ‘Caring Costs’ in light of the cost-of-living crisis.

Key facts

Carers UK research finds that:

• Almost three quarters of carers suffer financially as a result of caring.
• It is estimated that 1.4 million people provide over 50 hours of care per week. This saves the economy an average of £19,336 - which amounts to £132 billion per year.
• 1 in 8 adults (around 6.5 million people) are carers; 1 in 1 of those are aged 50-64 years old.
• According to the UK Census, 1 in 9 carers are workers. That’s 5 million people in the UK who are juggling caring responsibilities with work. Carers UK estimates this figure is actually nearer 1 in 7 people across the UK.
• Over 1 million people care for more than one person and every day, another 6,000 people take on this role. That equals over 2 million new carers each year.
• 58% of carers are women and 42% are men.

The most inclusive university of our kind

Carers Rights Day contributes to Queen Mary’s 2030 strategic aim to be ‘the most inclusive university of its kind anywhere’ and aligns with our mission to create a “truly inclusive environment, building on our cherished cultural diversity, where students and staff flourish, reach their full potential and are proud to be part of the University.” Our Gender Impact Plan (2022-27), developed as part of our recent successful renewal of our Institutional Athena Swan Silver Award, includes specific actions to enhance our support for carers at Queen Mary. This is an integral part of our mission to be the most inclusive university of our kind and essential to realising our strategic aims to reach gender balance at junior, middle and senior levels by 2030.

Information and support

Whether you are a new carer or have been caring for someone for a while, Queen Mary believes that it is important that students and employees understand their rights and are able to access the necessary support, as and when they need it.

Queen Mary is committed to supporting employees to balance the requirements of their role with their home and personal responsibilities. Our Special Leave Policy and Procedure provides additional support to employees at extraordinary times, both for their own welfare and for the welfare and wellbeing of others. The policy covers the following:

• Time off for Family and Dependants (Carers Leave)
• Emergencies at Home
• Time off for Medical Appointments
• Compassionate Leave
• Parental Bereavement Leave
• Leave for Public Duties
• Unpaid Leave

In addition, the Parents and Carers Network aims to support the working lives of employees with these responsibilities.

Advice and Counselling provide a range of confidential, specialist services to help students with practical matters, and to support them with their mental health and wellbeing. Dedicated student support can also be found in the A-Z of QMUL Support-Services.