Harry’s Pledge – our commitment to carers
The social housing sector is proud to care. From providing homes with specialist care and support, to offering care services to people who want to live independently at home, we are committed to caring for our communities.
Harry’s Pledge focuses on four areas where we can support those who need care and those who provide it.
You can show your commitment to carers by signing up to Harry’s Pledge
As employers:
- We will be a carer friendly employer.
- We will do all we can to support people with caring responsibilities who work for us by making our policies carer friendly.
- We will ensure people can work flexibly to fit paid work around unpaid caring responsibilities.
- We will provide platforms and support for those who are carers to tell their stories, and to tell us what more they need from us as employers and housing providers.
Supporting parent carers:
- We recognise that parents who have seriously ill children, those with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, need support.
- We’ll signpost parents to access counselling services to support them with their mental health following their child’s serious diagnosis.
- We’ll lobby for change so that more funding can be provided to support counselling services and respite for parents of critically ill children.
- We’ll acknowledge the importance of respite and counselling for parent carers of critically ill children, and support with employees and residents who are parent carers.
In the homes we provide:
- We will build more fully accessible homes.
- We will routinely consider accessibility when developing new homes and within our existing stock.
- We will consider our housing management policies and how they impact on disabled residents and their carers.
- We will collect insight data including information on disabled residents and residents that are carers, with the aim of providing services that can support them.
For our paid Carers:
- We will work with partners to professionalise care further with clear qualifications and career paths.
- We will promote care as a valued career choice.
- We will lobby for changes in pay and rewards for carers.
