Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.

We do not have a policy which explicitly covers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers. Employees are able to take time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant or are able to request other leave, paid and unpaid, as well as annual and flexi leave as required to support them when they become a kinship carer. Employees are also able to request a combination of flexible working patterns, special leave and adjusted duties depending on their specific needs.