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Social landlords make commitment to carers in major new campaign
Social landlords are being asked to commit to building more accessible homes, adopt flexible working patterns, and promote care as a career choice, in a major new campaign that will launch on Monday.
Landlords are being asked to sign up and support the Harry’s Pledge campaign, named after five-year-old Harry Charlesworth, who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, to support people who need care and those who provide it.
A number of senior sector figures drew up the campaign following an Inside Housing article about the Charlesworth family last month.
Backers include Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) president Aileen Evans, the National Housing Federation, Carers UK and the PlaceShapers group of housing associations.
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The campaign, launched during National Carers Week, which runs from Monday 8 June until Sunday 14 June, calls on housing providers to pledge to:
- Make policies carer-friendly, with flexible working so people can fit paid work around caring responsibilities
- Make offices and community spaces as accessible as possible, for example by installing Changing Places toilets
- Build more fully accessible homes and routinely consider accessibility in general needs housing
- Work to promote care as a valued career choice and lobby for changes in pay and rewards
Hayley Charlesworth, Harry’s mother, said: “If anyone can take on the pledge, it would mean such a lot. I know first-hand what it is like to live as a carer, and what it is like to have a disabled child that you can’t take out to places and not being able to access properties that are right for him.”
Ms Evans, who last week took part in an event that looked at the best way to develop care as a profession, said that attendees voiced concern that “because many people join care as a profession because it is rewarding, they are in some way exploited because of low pay”. She stressed that lobbying for changes to pay and rewards is important.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXL0EI4BZ4c&feature=youtu.be
Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: “Everyday paid and unpaid carers across the country do an incredible job supporting people with physical and mental health needs. Whether they’ve continued to go to work during lockdown or helped loved ones at home, the vital role of carers has become even more apparent during the current crisis.
"Through our support for Harry’s Pledge, we want to show our commitment to carers. We know housing associations are doing so much to deliver on these four pledges already, and it’s brilliant to be able to make a renewed and public commitment to this work on behalf of the sector."
Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, said: “Carers UK fully supports Harry’s Pledge to support paid and unpaid carers in the housing sector.
“We know how vital support provided by family and friends is to those who are disabled, ill or growing frail. Our Carers Week theme is making caring visible, this initiative does just that.”
Inside Housing is also a supporter of the campaign. Editor Martin Hilditch said he wants to publish stories demonstrating how readers are delivering on the commitments over the course of the next year, and called on readers to share their progress.
Organisations that want to sign up for Harry’s Pledge or find out more information can visit harrys-pledge.org.uk or follow @HarrysPledge on Twitter.
