FOI - GLA staff policies for carers [Feb 2025]

Request:

 I am writing to request the following information:

1. How many days of paid and/or unpaid leave per year can staff who are carers take?
2. When were the last changes made to the hours/days registered carers can take and what change was made?
3. Is your organisation a Carer Confident employer?
4. How many staff members are registered carers in your organisation?
5. How many days of paid and/or unpaid carer’s leave were taken on average per registered carer in 2023 and 2024?
6. Was an Equality Impact Assessment completed for the policy?
7. Was the policy reviewed alongside related policies, such as flexible working arrangements?
8. Do managers receive training on the nature of being a carer and how best to support staff’s individual needs?
9. If there is training, is it mandatory?
10. Is there a Carers Network in the organisation? If there is, does it have a senior sponsor and what is their role within the organisation?
11. Please provide a copy of your carers leave policy as a PDF and email/direct me to the policy. If there is not a stand-alone document, please provide the policies that contain and reference this, such as special leave or time off for dependents and a copy/link.
12. Was the carer’s leave policy, or the policies that contain and reference this, co-produced with staff?

Response:

I can confirm that the GLA holds the information in scope of your request as set out below:

1. How many days of paid and/or unpaid leave per year can staff who are carers take?

The GLA has enhanced the statutory entitlements to carers leave and dependency leave. If you meet the definition outlined within Section 4 of the policy, you will be entitled up to 10 days’ paid leave in one leave year (1 April - 31 March), This entitlement will be pro-rated if you work part-time.

2. When were the last changes made to the hours/days registered carers can take and what change was made?

The GLAs carers and dependency leave policy was created in 2020 to include carers leave alongside dependency leave. Leave provision was set at up to 10 days paid leave this applies to all staff  with caring responsibilities including registered carers.

3. Is your organisation a Carer Confident employer?   

The GLA is currently not a Carer Confident Accredited employer.

4. How many staff members are registered carers in your organisation?

We are unfortunately unable to provide this data as the GLA do not actively track this information.

5. How many days of paid and/or unpaid carer’s leave were taken on average per registered carer in 2023 and 2024?

We are unfortunately unable to provide this data as the GLA do not actively track this information.

6. Was an Equality Impact Assessment completed for the policy?

Yes an EqIA was completed in 2020 when creating the ‘carers and dependency leave’ policy.

7. Was the policy reviewed alongside related policies, such as flexible working arrangements?

This policy was reviewed in March 2024, to reflect the new statutory carers leave that came into effect on 6 April 2024 when the Carer's Leave Act comes into force

8. Do managers receive training on the nature of being a carer and how best to support staff’s individual needs?

Whilst this is no specific training provided to managers on the nature of being a carer, Section 8 of the policy outlines the expections of Managers and of how they provide support to employees. There are also several sources of additional support available to both managers and employees, alongside multiple examples of instances where this policy could be applied.

9. If there is training, is it mandatory?    

N/A

10. Is there a Carers Network in the organisation? If there is, does it have a senior sponsor and what is their role within the organisation?

Yes  - there is a Parents and Carers Network within the GLA. The Executive Sponsor is Dianne Tranmer, Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Business Improvement.

11. Please provide a copy of your carers leave policy as a PDF and email/direct me to the policy. If there is not a stand-alone document, please provide the policies that contain and reference this, such as special leave or time off for dependents and a copy/link.

Attached.

12. Was the carer’s leave policy, or the policies that contain and reference this, co-produced with staff?

Yes all staff were able to contribute to the consultation on the carers and dependants leave policy.