NHS care volunteers
- Volunteer responders are ready to provide vital support to adult social care providers. You can request volunteers via an online referral portal or over the phone. Full details, links and numbers can be found here.
Discounts
- Provides discounts online and in-store, for £4.99, members of the blue light community can register for 2-years access to more than 15,000 discounts from large national retailers to local businesses across categories such as holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones, and many more.
- Available for: care company (workforce), care home, council (working in social care sector), residential care and social worker. ID Required: ID card or Payslip for registering.
- Benefit provider for care workers and carers and is also available for their families and any retired carers. From holidays to car insurance, mobile phones to fashion we offer exclusive deals. Free to join.
- Available for: All types of carers and care workers. Employed, self-employed, care for family/other, retired, volunteer and foster carer.
Transport
- Parking permits are available for social care staff to park for free and unlimited time when on house visits.
- Wheels 2 Work Southwest provides the loan of a moped along with insurance and safety equipment to those people in need of help getting to work, education or training without the worry of using public transport.
- Are you eligible: Do you live, work or study in Devon, North/East Cornwall or West Somerset? Are you aged 17+? Do you have a provisional or full UK licence? Do you have a CBT or full bike Licence (If you passed your car test before Feb 2001 you will be able to ride a 50cc scooter without the need for a CBT)?
- If you meet the criteria apply now.
- If you’re disabled or have a physical or mental health condition that makes it hard for you to do your job, you can: talk to your employer about changes they must make in your
workplace or get extra help from Access to Work. - An Access to Work grant can pay for: special equipment, adaptations or support worker services to help you do things or help with transport and getting to and from work.
- Care Workers are eligible to access the NHS Car Lease Discount Scheme. Of course, there are multiple companies who provide lease car arrangements and this will be a personal choice. Devon County Council does not endorse any particular scheme or lease hire company. We are merely signposting to options you may wish to consider.
- With the NHS discount scheme, staff could potentially get a 50% reduction in the arrangement fee discount. (A worked example and a ‘city car’ estimated a cost of approximately £137 per month, and could be potentially less).
Childcare
- Early Years & Childcare Service Struggling to find suitable childcare? Complete this short online form and a staff member from the Early Years & Childcare Service team will contact you to offer support.
- Childcare Choices, Government help with childcare costs for parents. Whether you have toddlers or teens, you could get support. Find out more!
Wellbeing
See our wellbeing for staff section. Information on all areas of wellbeing. See national, local resources and tools for all staff across adult social care. Ways to look after your wellbeing, self-help, build resilience and how to get support when you need it.
- Information on how to access urgent support for yourself or others
- Information on wellbeing and resources for emotional wellbeing
- Links and resources for support for financial wellbeing
- Information on how promote and access support for your physical wellbeing
Support from Skills for Care
- Skills for care have information around funded recruitment and retention initiatives to support adult social care employers recruit and develop new workers. Support for registered managers in adult social care includes: an advice line, Local WhatsApp groups, Virtual network meetings for registered managers, Facebook group for registered and front-line managers, and Guidance and funding related to essential training.