We appreciate that balancing work with caring responsibilities can be very difficult and that help is not always to hand or easy to find. So, this Carers Week, we wanted to bring this information together for you.
Information, advice and support for carers is available to you within the council as an employee, in addition to locally and nationally.
Our Employment Policy Arrangements
As a Carer Positive organisationwe recognise that fostering an environment where every employee feels supported in the workplace is good employment practice, and we understand the benefits of having 'carer positive' policies and working practices.
If you are a carer and need support, we would encourage you to speak to your line manager or strategic service HR about your situation and the options available.
This could include using Carer's Leave, Parental Leave, Time off to care for dependants, or Kinship Care Leave. See our Conditions of Service: Leave for more information on these options.
For more information on our Carer's Leave, see our Corporate HR Carer's Leave Guide
Our Worklife Balance Policy and Flexible Working Procedure are also available to help support you in managing your caring responsibilities.
Peer support is available for employees who are carers through our Employee Carers Peer Support Network where they can keep up to date with the latest news and opportunities to talk and share their experiences with other carers who work in the Council. They can also work with us to promote equality and diversity and help shape future policies and procedures together. If you are a carer and would like to be kept involved in what we are doing and/or share your experiences, let us know by emailing us at equalityanddiversity@glasgow.gov.uk
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
You can also get free and confidential health and wellbeing support resource. This personal support service is provided by PAM Assist, and is available to you 24 hours a day, any day of the year by phone, email, or by using
Click here for additional information and resources, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions, and details on how to get started using the PAM Assist App.
Support in Glasgow
If you are looking after someone in Glasgow and want further information on carers' rights, news, campaigns and accessing services (including an online carer self-referral form), then visit: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/carers
Support in other areas
To find out about local carer support services, including carer centres near you, Care Information Scotland provides a detailed list of all carer centres and young carers services across Scotland, just follow this link.
Shared Care Scotland have compiled a comprehensive list of home-based activities to help unpaid carers, and those they care for, to have a 'break' at home. Click here for details.
Further information and support
There are a number of other organisations that can also provide information, advice and support for carers including:
The last year has presented us with many challenges - both as individuals in our personal lives, and also as employees working for Scotland's largest local authority.
Whilst we have all been on a different journey, and experienced different emotions along the way, there has been a collective understanding of the importance of compassion and the need to be there to support one another during difficult times.
The pandemic put a spotlight onto just how important the health and wellbeing of our workforce is. Our next Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2021 to 2024 (PDF) [2MB] has now been developed and you are at the very core of its creation. It will focus on establishing a positive and healthy working environment where you can feel engaged and supported in key areas of interest to you.
It will be driven at a local level, listening to the needs and wants of our diverse workforce and put the right measures in place to deliver key actions to support you. We are committed to making sure that everyone can access our support arrangements over the next three years and I hope that everyone will embrace local plans and take part in activities of interest to them.
This detailed handbook brings together a wide range of recommended internal and external health and wellbeing information, guidance and support - all in the one place for ease of reference.
It contains quick links to all the relevant resources that can be accessed online - broken down into key topics and themes. For example:
Some of the links are to resources that might be held on Connect - if you do not have access to our intranet please speak to your manager for a copy of the required material.
This comprehensive guide brings together free health and wellbeing resources that can be downloaded, printed or ordered in hard copy on various key health and wellbeing themes.
Your Health and Wellbeing Resource Guide can be viewed here. (PDF) [219KB]
Managers should use the Resource Guide to select and source key health and wellbeing resources for distribution in and around your workspace - such as posters, leaflets and pocket cards/ booklets.
Please print or order hard copies to display in communal areas such as staff rooms, canteens, reception areas and notice boards so they are easily accessible to all members of your team.
Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) delivered by PAM Assist is available 24/7 for free, confidential, independent advice and support on any issue that matters to you and your family.
We can all have good days and bad days.
Sometimes mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, depression, trauma, bereavement, sleep problems or lack of confidence can affect our time at work and we need some support to help us feel better and to have more good days.
We are delighted to bring you access to nine months of free, confidential work-focused support from a qualified mental health professional - through our new partnership with Able Futures - the Access to Work mental health support service, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.
You can benefit from:
Flexible, fast and easy to use service - how to get in touch with Able Futures
Their confidential service is quick and easy to access:
Virtual Appointment Days
If something is playing on your mind at work staff can chat to Able Futures at a Virtual Appointment Day (telephone call)
Your virtual appointment call will take up to 30 minutes and you will need the following information to register for the phone call:
Information on our next sessions will appear here when they become available - watch this space!
For more information read Welcome to Able Futures (PDF) [424KB]
Existing support routes
For Managers
Our dedicated staff financial wellbeing support page provides a comprehensive list of the Government approved pathways that are available to you. Advice and support is broken down into key sections for easy reference and includes topics such as:
All the information is also available to download from the page and print in our staff financial wellbeing factsheet.
Our policies
Our workplace policies have been updated to help support staff and to reduce the impact of gambling, alcohol and drug related harms on our workforce. You can read these here:
Dedicated addictions helpline - free, confidential and available 24/7
External support
Our commitment
The council signed the Unite Charter as part of our ongoing commitment to reduce gambling related harms in the workplace and support the wellbeing. You can read the Unite Charter (PDF) [405KB] .
Glasgow City Council is committed to creating a workplace free from bullying and harassment.
We all have a role to play in supporting this.
If you experience bullying and harassment or see it happening to someone else, follow the 5 key steps to stop it:
Support for you
Below you will find information on the support available to anyone affected by bullying and harassment.
Support includes access to free confidential advice by phoning our dedicated external helpline - with our Employee Assistance Provider - PAM Assist.
Chat on the phone - 24/7
You can also chat in confidence to:
External Support
Additional external support and advice is available from:
Don't Wait to Stop Smoking
Smoking remains a leading cause of preventable diseases in Scotland. The joint 'Don't wait' stop smoking campaign has been re-launched between Scotland's three largest health boards - NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lanarkshire, and NHS Lothian.
The campaign focuses on the harms smoking can cause and highlights the free NHS stop smoking services available to support those who are ready to 'stub the addiction.'
If you are a smoker, stopping smoking is one of the most important things you can do to keep yourself healthy - and the health benefits start almost as soon as you stop.
It's never too late to quit. Don't Wait; Let's do this!
NHS help and support
Find out more information and advice about how to quit smoking at nhsinfom.scot
Find out how to get help from NHS Stop smoking advisors who can help you to stop smoking for good. Visit nhsinform.scot
You can contact the NHS Quit You Way service free, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or phone 0800 84 84 84
You can also visit your local Community Pharmacy for free stop smoking support
Support for staff
Find useful help and guidance in our Health and Wellbeing Handbook (section above).
Our Employee Assistance Provider can provide a free Smoking Cessation Pack as well as access to free, confidential, independent advice and counselling support 24/7.
To encourage healthier eating as part of our Staff Health and Wellbeing Strategy, we are delighted to offer you the opportunity to order fresh fruit and vegetables at discounted price for direct delivery to your home or place of work.
We have joined forces with Firm Banana, a local family-run business with over 30 years of trading within City Markets.
As a Glasgow City Council employee, you can benefit from:
How to Order
Alternatively you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables at the Council's Farmer's Markets. Or visit the Glasgow Wholesale Market which sells fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and flowers at a fraction of the price you would pay in the shops. You'll find them off Junction 14 of the M8, 130 Blochairn Road, Glasgow, G21 2DU.
As a council employee, you have access to fantastic health benefits along with discounted shopping by taking out an HSF health plan policy.
HSF Health Plan is a health cash plan provider, committed to delivering simple and affordable ways to help you cover the cost of everyday healthcare such as dental, optical and physiotherapy, plus much more!
How does it work? It's simple. You pay a premium for the scheme that suits you best, then you claim cash back for your treatments as and when you need it. Not only that, but your spouse / partner and children (up to age of 18, as long as they reside at the same address) are covered at no extra cost.
More information
Watch this video to find out more about the HSF Health Plan: https://vimeo.com/531237729/108c5de30f or visit Connect to find out more.
Being mindful of diverse holidays, cultural events, religious celebrations, wellbeing awareness dates and associated training - is key to helping create an inclusive workplace.
Visit our Key Dates calendar for important themes and dates each month and supports our diversity, cultural, equality and health and wellbeing initiatives. We hope you find it a useful resource to support one another and celebrate key dates.
Our 'Join-us' page lists all our free health, wellbeing, equality and diversity training available for staff - along with other health and wellbeing events you can take part in.
You can have a look at what's available each month by scrolling down each section. Past training and event information is still available to view in the archived section in related content at the bottom of the page.
Our 'Join-Us' page is regularly updated as training sessions become available - so please check back.
