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Plans to identify and support carers of all ages across Scotland were revealed on 26th July 2010, including investment in respite and short breaks.
Making the announcement Public Health Minister Shona Robison said "Carers of all ages make a huge contribution to their families and to society. Their efforts help their loved ones to continue living independently - and their contribution as unpaid workers to health and social care is worth an estimated £7.68 billion a year."
The adult strategy - Caring Together - lays out a ten-point plan with specific commitments to help carers, including:
The following are the headline actions in this strategy to help improve outcomes for carers:
1. A Carers Rights Charter will be developed, consolidating existing legal rights and setting out key principles for carer support both now and in the future.
2. Measures will be put in place to help professionals in the health and social care workforce identify carers. Carer identification opens the door to a carer's assessment and to the provision of support. There will be a strong emphasis on workforce training as members of the workforce who are 'carer-aware' have a big role to play.
3. Steps will be taken to improve the uptake and quality of carers assessments/carer support plans. This will be achieved through workforce training and widely-disseminated guidance as well as by inclusion of the role of assessments in the forthcoming NHSinform carers information zone. Carers centres will continue their vital work in supporting this process.
4. The provision of information and advice to carers through various means including workforce training and our support for NHSinform.
5. Working to ensure carer representation on Community Health Partnerships. Carers will be central to the planning, shaping and delivery of services for the people with care needs and in relation to support for themselves.
6. As carers can suffer poor health directly as a result of caring, carer health and well-being is vitally important. A bespoke resource on issues relating to stress and caring to complement the successful Steps for Stress will be developed. Work will continue with the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland and the national carer organisations on carer identification and support, including promoting good health. Work will be done to ensure that carers aged 40-64 have access to health checks under plans to target groups of people, including carers, who may not live in the most deprived areas - those eligible people in the most deprived areas will already have access to health checks under the Keep Well initiative.
7. Carer training promotes carer confidence and enables carers to care for longer. £281,000 will be invested in carer (and workforce) training this year through a grant to the national carer organisations. Working with NHS Boards to ensure a 'training offer' may be made to carers in greatest need, contingent on the outcome of the next Spending Review.
8. The provision of short breaks or respite is hugely important to carers. Work will continue with a range of partners to promote the further development of flexible, personalised short breaks. Local authorities will continue to provide, and support access to, short breaks. A further £1 million will be invested in 2010-11 to provide more innovative short breaks provision in Scotland to be delivered by the voluntary sector.
9. It is important for carers to be able to remain in employment, when they want to, or to take up employment, learning or training opportunities. Employers will be encouraged to develop and promote carer-friendly employment practices. Skills Development Scotland will be working with the national carer organisations to help promote learning and other career opportunities.
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