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The purpose of the new scheme, which will see €270,880 (£200,000) given to the county Staffordshire, England-based Dove Service, is to work together with businesses supporting carers in employment. With 5.4 million carers in England and 57.7% of these being women, the Dove Service identified that employers themselves are best placed to assist these carers. Finning joined the service’s scheme at the start of 2014.
After announcing the new government initiative, Nicky Morgan said: “It is essential that we support these carers to remain in employment, so it’s great to be here at Finning to see examples of the work that they have already done with the Dove Service.
“This new carer support scheme is important for two reasons. Firstly, a company such as Finning has invested a lot in their employees, spending time training them and giving staff valuable experience in the workplace. Therefore to lose an employee due to lack of support would not only be a blow to the business, but also the wider economy.
“Secondly it’s also very important for the carers’ own wellbeing, allowing them to maintain their independence and giving them the flexibility to carry on working longer. We’re looking to this pilot to show that companies like Finning, organisations such as the Dove Service, working with local authorities such as Staffordshire County Council, can pioneer new ways of enabling carers to remain in employment.”
Stuart Chapman, HR director at Finning UK and Ireland, said: “Our association with the Dove Service dates back to the start of 2014. Since then, a number of our employees have greatly benefitted from the training and counselling support offered.
“We are known in our industry for our commitment to the safety, health and wellbeing of our employees, and see the support of our employees with care responsibilities as not only a natural extension of those commitments, but also entirely consistent with our values.”
