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Section head
Case Study: Flexible Working - Brent Council
Almost two-thirds of Brent Council’s staff are women, and many have caring responsibilities, for children or for elderly or disabled relatives. The Council’s approach to flexible working has helped reduce turnover and sickness absence dramatically in the last three years It has also helped to improve significantly the representation of women at senior levels (up 18%) and has increased the proportion of part-time staff from 15% to 19% in two years.
In 2006 Brent Council launched a ‘Parents and Carers Network’ open to all staff with caring responsibilities, but of particular benefit to women. The Council had run a series of seminars aimed at new parents and carers, and had been overwhelmed by requests from staff, mostly women, for more support to help them balance their different roles.
New mothers reported needing support at work with childcare choices and how to balance their home and work lives, and women who were carers reported being unaware of what support exists and of feeling isolated. A small group of women caring for children and elderly parents said that their managers simply couldn’t understand the pressure they felt on a daily basis.
The Network is run by staff with support from the Council’s Diversity Team. It holds meetings for staff four times a year during work time. Each meeting features guest speakers and a networking lunch, and the chair of the Steering Group sits on the Council’s Leadership Group, giving them access to the most senior decision makers in the Council.
Achievements/Lessons learned
Funding for the Network has been secured and the Steering Group set up. The first event for staff takes place in May 2007 and will include speakers from Brent Mental Health Trust and the Council’s own HR and Diversity Team. 35 staff attended the event and feedback was excellent. One member of staff said "the event has increased my awareness of Brent’s policies regarding parental responsibilities and also increased my sense of support and networks.
The Council has updated its Work Life Balance Handbook for new mothers, fathers and carers at work.
Sickness absence was 8 days on average per annum in 2006/07, a drop of 31% since 2002/03.
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