Strong at Work, Strong at Home: The SRAG, Age UK and Supporting Unpaid Carers
June 06, 2025Posted by:
We asked Lisa Walker, Regional Manager, Community Services at PeoplePlus - who oversees the Gloucestershire Carers Hub and a carer herself, to offer a reflection on the latest SRAG Lunch & Learn. Here’s why the issues covered hit home.
"My professional role - actually, the team I work with - educated me that I am a carer. I thought I was just helping Mum out, doing what I could to make sure she had what she needed to get by - and that I should just quietly get on with it. So when they held that mirror up to me, the one where the you see the person reflected as someone different, someone who could ask for support and draw boundaries, it took some time to adapt. We now have a routine and support that work for my Mum, and me.
How is this relevant to the SRAG Lunch & Learn on age inclusivity? I presented a Lunch and Learn to SRAG Members a couple of years ago, on empowering carers (available in the SRAG member portal), so I was curious to see how the issue would be covered by Heather Griffin from Age UK Nottingham & Nottinghamshire. I wasn't disappointed.
It was quickly clear that Heather and AGE UK got it. The link between real life and employment statistics was made loud and clear. People are still leaving work to manage caring responsibilities, and employers do need to better understand the disproportionate impact unpaid caring has on the over-50s. We need to join forces and educate business to help them help us. This is about people like me and the thousands of others we provide services to in Gloucestershire - repeated all over the UK – people trying to work while quietly managing care for ageing parents, relatives, neighbours – anyone who, without them and the support they provide, would be at risk of serious neglect.
It’s something a lot of people don’t talk about at work, but we’re fortunate at PeoplePlus to have a Carers Focus Group that I’m honoured to chair. This session made one thing obvious: we’re everywhere. Many of us are just about holding it together – but with the right support and signposting, that pressure can be relieved.
What Really Stuck with Me
Heather shared that over 600 people leave work every single day to care for someone older, disabled, or seriously ill.
It’s a shocking but sadly familiar stat. Anyone in a caring role will recognise the point where something suddenly changes – and the pressure on the person who has to step in. That person is often already juggling work, family, and their own health.
Unpaid carers do it all: phone calls with care providers, unexpected appointments, constant cognitive and emotional load. We worry about finances, about loneliness – our own and theirs – and about how we’re supposed to sustain both roles. And exhaustion underpins everything.
And while caring is a huge issue, its not the only issue affecting older people.
Four Pressures Hitting Older Workers and Their Families
Health – 74% of over-50s worry about staying healthy. It’s not just physical – it’s the toll of constant low-level stress.
Care – Often unpaid, often overnight, and often invisible at work.
Loneliness – Remote working can make this worse. And many older workers are also worried about isolated relatives.
Finances – Cost of living pressures - budget gaps in fixed incomes and energy bills don’t wait.
So What Can Employers Do?
What stood out to me is how many of the solutions cost nothing – they just require focus and awareness.
Talk about caring: Don’t wait for a crisis. A “carer’s passport” – just a short conversation and plan – can make a huge difference.
Connect to the right support: Age UK and your local Carers Hub offer benefit checks, advice, pre-retirement planning, and more.
Flexibility matters: We normalise parental leave – why not eldercare leave? The age of the person being cared for shouldn’t affect the level of support.
One line I keep thinking about was quoted by Heather:
“If caring for ageing parents had the same status as childcare, more people would be able to stay in work.”
The Case for Kindness – and for Business
I’m lucky to work in an organisation that wants to understand this better. Where being honest about your caring role is the responsible choice, because you are not going to be automatically labelled as unreliable.
This session was a reminder that ageing isn’t a niche issue. It’s a whole workforce issue affecting retention, wellbeing, inclusion and so much more.
And if we get it right, work can actually become part of the solution. The structure, the support network, the income, the sense of identity – these are things that can protect carers and keep them strong in both roles."
Want to Know More?
👉 Find your local Age UK support: Contact Age UK Near You
Interested in how Gloucestershire Carers Hub serve the community? [email protected]
👉 Contact your local authority – funding is devolved, and services vary, so ask what’s available near you.
June 06, 2025Posted by:
