PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Carers (15 June 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will place in the Library a list of the workplace benefits that his Department provides to its staff with caring responsibilities.

Asked by:
Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat)

DCMS recognises the importance of providing a supportive workplace for employees who have caring responsibilities. Our aim is to enable individuals to undertake their caring responsibilities while at the same time feeling engaged and valued in the workplace.

DCMS has adopted the Civil Service wide Carers' Charter and has the following workplace policies to support carers.

• Flexible working and job sharing - to support employees’ work-life balance particularly those with caring responsibilities.

• Special leave - policy sets out the provision and entitlements to paid special leave and unpaid career breaks to support employees.

• Parental Leave - Parental leave available to working parents to look after their child or to make arrangements for the child’s welfare.

• Carer’s Passport- which is a Charity for Civil Servants initiative to help civil servants with specific caring responsibilities.

• Internal Carer’s Network - support for carers in the department enabling them to meet other carers and to share issues and information.

• Employee Assistance programme - access to advice and counselling.

• Foster Carers’ & Family and Friends Carers’ Leave - policy to support employees who care for children under a fostering or family and friends care arrangement.

Answered by:
Dame Caroline Dinenage (Conservative)
22 June 2020