Transcript of
Caring and discrimination
Caring's one of those things that, when we think about it,
it's happened to all of us or to somebody that we know in our family.
It certainly will happen to all of us at some point in our lives.
So it's surprising, really, that it's so little recognised and understood.
I did have a difficult birth.
So when he was born, Oliver had a number of illnesses.
We think it's really important
that carers feel able to seek advice and help
and to understand the rights that they have
so that they feel confident in asserting those rights.
He used to stop breathing around...
..on a bad day, it was between 50 and 60 times a day.
It was an absolutely horrendous time.
Everybody who dealt with Oliver had to be resuscitation trained.
Some employers don't really understand
the fact that the person that's working for them
might want to carry on working for them,
and might be a very good and dedicated employee,
but needs a bit more flexibility in their time.
I asked for flexible working.
And they called all the secretaries in
and they said to us that one would be made redundant.
It is something people don't really understand.
So if they see one of their colleagues maybe asking for flexible working,
needing to leave work early, or not being able to work unsociable hours...
Sometimes carers will feel that people have just made an assumption
they're lazy or they're not committed to their work.
Whereas actually, they're desperately trying to juggle
two very difficult things in caring and employment.
One fellow, he stood over me
screaming at me, "Your effing child is always effing sick! You are lazy!"
Some groups of carers feel particularly discriminated against.
So people that are caring for somebody with a mental health problem,
or HIV Aids, or a substance misuse problem,
often feel stigma by association.
People go, "If he's not well, you've got to say at home with him."
But then how do I provide? How do I keep a roof over their heads?
We actually rely on carers
for billions and billions of pounds worth of care
that the economy, the NHS, couldn't do without.
So it's really important that carers are able to access support
and that people around them try to be understanding
of what they're going through.
I went to a solicitor to see about unfair dismissal.
Because I felt that it was, you know... I was unfairly treated.
We basically won our case.
And now people are afforded protection from discrimination
and have a level playing-field.
And that's all we were after.
The law now confirms that there is discrimination by association.
So if you are a carer caring for a disabled person you are protected.
Most carers will find that they've got a local specialist carers' service,
like a carers' centre in their area
where they can go and talk to somebody who really understands caring issues
and can give them support and advice
and help them understand what their rights are and how to access them.