Advice needed re unpaid parental leave

[busymum]

I am exploring the possibility of taking some unpaid parental leave, ideally I would like 1 day off work p.w for 3 or so months. I have a sneaking feeling this might not be that straight forward. I have been looking at the directgov web-site and read that you're supposed to take parental leave in blocks of 1 week (I think parents are entitled to 13 weeks unpaid per year?) but that employers might let you spread it out, does anyone have experience of agreeing this? I am really only interested in doing it this way.

I currently work 4.5 days per week, my boss was not willing to let me work less, various business arguments for my job being a full time position, can they use these same business arguments and refuse parental leave? As it happens my almost full-time status since maternity leave has probably worked in my favour as I work for a public sector organisation and we are heading for cuts. I have been with same organisation for many years so if I had reduced my hours when I came back after maternity leave my redundancy package will be significantly less, there is no back-dated pro-rate redundancy calculation. However the threat of redundancy rules out my putting in another request to reduce my days as any reduction in my hours would make me a whole lot cheaper to get rid of.

If they refused my request for parental leave I could consider asking for a sabbatical, maybe another job, less days, but then they might insist I take a pay cut, can they do that? And if I were made redundant whilst on a sabbatical would my redundancy benefits be effected?

Does anyone know if you can carry over parental leave. I have not taken any to date but my eldest is already 3 yrs. Have I banked 13 weeks x 3 years? I'm guessing not.

I could ask my H.R Department and HofD all these questions but It would be good to get some advice from others who may have used this leave in order to spend more time with their children. I would love to be at home with my kids a bit more, they are still very young.

Please let me know if you've been in a similar situation or know anything?