Returning to work after time out for caring

Overview

In the Spring Budget 2017, the Government committed “to promoting returnships to the public and private sector, helping people back into employment after a career break." This commitment focusses on supporting returners, who are defined as those that have taken time out of paid employment to care for children or other family members.

Following this commitment, we want to know more about returners’ experiences, employers’ experiences of recruiting returners, and evidence on the barriers they face and support available to them.

This call for evidence is for:

1. Those who have returned to work after time out caring for children or family
2. Those currently caring for children or family who would like to return to work
3. Employers
4. Organisations or individuals with knowledge of returners

Why your views matter

We want to know more about returners' experiences, employers' experiences of recruiting returners, and evidence on the barriers they face and support available to them. We want to hear from all those groups listed above, and are very grateful for your views.

Further background and context to this call for evidence can be found in the document at the bottom of this page. This also includes instructions for submitting a paper copy response, and the form for doing so, if you are unable to access the online survey link.

Handling of information from individuals

We want to gain anonymous information on returners’ experiences and employers' experiences of recruiting returners. We therefore ask that individuals do not supply us with any information that could identify them or anyone else. Any information we do receive which identifies individuals will be deleted and will therefore not form part of this call for evidence.

Participating individuals will not be identifiable from any published reports. As a public authority, the Department for Education (of which the Government Equalities Office is a part) is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This means that non-personal information collected for the purpose of this call for evidence may be disclosed in accordance with that Act. Non-personal information may also be used in full or in a summary of responses to this call for evidence.