Funder Independent Living Fund Scotland (ILFS) has been named as one of the ten best employers for working families.

The charity Working Families, which compiles the annual list, says the funder is among those employers excelling in terms of offering flexible and family friendly policies and working arrangements for staff.

The funder provides support for people with disabilities in Scotland and Northern Ireland by distributing public money from the Scottish Government and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.

ILFS chief operating officer Harvey Tilley said: “Our business is to help disabled people to live independent lives with choice, dignity and control.

“We can only do this when our staff team are happy and able to work in a way that suits their lives. Yet we never rest on our laurels.

The funder has been in Working Families’ Top 10 five times previously and the Top 30 twice.

The charity’s annual list is based on the views of almost 300,000 employees across the UK.

“Our Top Employers are a powerful reminder that there are employers who are already forging a path for family-friendly and flexible working that others can follow, safe in the knowledge that not only will their business not suffer, but it will thrive,” said Working Families chief executive Jane van Zyl.

“Supporting carers, finding flexibility in job roles, and encouraging change from the top, as our Benchmark employers do, all add up to create inclusive workforces where everyone is empowered to work at their best.”

Kinship carers

Independent Living Fund Scotland has also been awarded the first Scottish Gold Standard award for supporting kinship carer employees from the charity Kinship along with the Scottish Government.

“Gold standard support includes offering paid leave to all kinship carers, when they take on the care of a child, that equals the organisation’s adoption leave and pay,” said Kindship co-director of policy and communications Rhiannon Clapperton.

“This is vital to enable kinship carers to remain in work when they take on the care of a child.

“The support also includes providing information to kinship carers and signposting them to where they can access further support.”

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