"I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight how beneficial the Carers Leave and Flexitime Scheme has been for me. I am the main carer for my mother who experiences a number of difficulties including visual and hearing impairments. Unfortunately she often has to visit the hospital and would panic if she had to do this on her own, carers leave allows me to accompany her and speak to her doctors to make sure that I understand her healthcare needs.

In addition, I can arrange my working hours so that I can call in on my mother before work, during dinner, or work a shorter day under the Flexitime scheme. This also allows me to collect my granddaughter from school when my daughter is struggling.

Before I worked at Salford City Council I found it really difficult to get time off to be with my mother, mangers did not want me to bring my home life to work. But here they understand that it’s not always that easy and people have taken time to listen to me and understand about my mother's needs and my situation. This really helps to remove some of the pressure and helps me achieve a balance between home and work" - Catherine Walton