from recognition to rights

Our meetings

Coalition of Carers meeting

The Coalition of Carers holds 3 meetings a year throughout Scotland. They aim to bring carers and staff from local carer organisations together with key decision makers from national and local government.  They also provide the opportunity for people to network and share best practice from across Scotland.  Meetings are free to all members.

Our member meetings in 2019 will be held on

  • Wednesday 20th March
  • Wednesday 26th June
  • Wednesday 13th November

Next Meeting

Date: 13th November
Theme: Annual General Meeting
Time: 11.00am to 3.00pm
Venue: Apex Hotel Waterloo, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, EH13BG
Theme: Give Us a Break – Short Break provision now and in the future

The meeting will include

  • Information on research from Shared Care Scotland on holiday activity provision for disabled children
  • An update on the Scottish Government’s reform of adult social care and a discussion on how carer support and short breaks should be considered in the reform.
  • A Carer Campaigning Slot on Council Tax Rebate

Last Meeting

Date: 26th June
Theme: Carers Assistance or Carers Income?
Time: 11.00am to 3.00pm
Venue: Forth Valley College, Stirling Campus
Agenda: Agenda COCIS Meeting 26th June 2019

This meeting included an update on social security in Scotland, including the Scottish Government’s plans for the reform of disability benefits and carers assistance.

We discussed the Citizens Basic Income and how this might work for carers

You can download the following presentations from the meeting here:

Previous Meeting

Date: 20th March
Venue: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Cambridge Street, Glasgow
Time: 10.30am to 3.00pm
Theme: Understanding the impact of Brexit for carers and carer support organisation and What was the Carers Act money spent on?

You can download the following presentations from the meeting here:

Previous Meeting

Date: 15th November
Venue: Apex Hotel Waterloo, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, EH13BG
Time: 10.30am to 3.00pm

The theme of our meeting was ‘From Recognition to Rights – are we there yet?’

This event looked at how far we have come in relation to carers rights and what more needs to be done to reduce the impact of caring on people’s lives.

The meeting was introduced by Joe Fitzpatrick, the Minister for Public Health with responsibility for carers.

We had contributions from Emma Ritch of Engender on the impact of caring on women, from Dr Donald Macaskill on taking a human rights approach to supporting carers and the provision of social care and from Peter Lawson on working as a carer

We also be revealed the results from our survey on progress in implementing the Carers Act and how eligibility criteria has been developed across Scotland.

You can download the following presentations from the meeting here:

Previous Meeting

Date: 15th August
Venue: Dewar Centre, Perth
Time: 10.30am to 3.00pm

This event explored the impact caring has on different areas of people’s lives. It looked at the impact it has on carers’ personal lives, their  finances and on their employment prospects.

We had contributions from Ray Fallan, a carer from TIDE, the Poverty Alliance and from Carers Scotlands’s Carer Positive employment project

We sought solutions from our speakers and from our audience on how to address some of the negative impacts of caring.

The presentations can be downloaded here:

Previous Meeting – The Carers (Scotland) Act
This meeting was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Glasgow on the 25th of April.  It focussed on
how the Carers Act is being implemented and funded across Scotland.  The meeting included

  • Results from our survey on how the third sector is being funded to implement the Act
  • Sharing information on how the Act is being implemented.  What is working well, what is still in progress and what areas are causing challenges?
  • Self-Directed Support and carers.  What new choices do carers have now there is a duty to give them the four SDS options?
  • Our expert panel answered questions on the Carers Act. The panel members were
    • Lindsey Henderson, Head of the Carers Policy Unit
    • Julie Rintoul, Scottish Government Statistician
    • Geoff Mohamed, carer and member of COCIS’s committee
    • Wendy Jack, Head of Strategy, West Dunbartonshire Partnership
    • Elaina Smith, Health Improvement, Senior Acute Carers, NHS Greater Glasgow

Presentation material is available to download:

COCIS Slides – April 2018

Previous Meeting – Best Practice Bites
This meeting was held at the Apex Hotel in Edinburgh on the 29th of November.

It included:

  • An overview of our scoping report ‘Are we ready for the Carers Act?’
  • Examples of best practice across Scotland
  • A session on the reform of adult social care
  • Frank’s Law, introduced by Amanda Kopel

Presentation material is available to download:

Previous Meeting – Equal, Expert and Valued
This meeting was held on Wednesday 29th March at The City Halls, Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1NQ

The theme of the meeting was ‘Equal, Expert and Valued’ and included:

  • An update from the Scottish Government on preparations for the Carers Act
  • The opportunity to contribute to the developing regulations and guidance to accompany  The Carers Act
  • ‘Equal, Expert and Valued’. A report on carer representatives experience on Integrated Joint Boards

Presentation material from the meeting is available below:

Previous Meetings – Annual General Meeting

Our AGM was held on Wednesday 26th October at the Apex Waterloo Hotel, 23 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh EH1 3BH

The theme of the meeting was ‘A New Future for Social Security’ and included information and discussion on the government’s consultation on social security in Scotland.

The meeting was introduced by the Minister for Social Security, Jeanne Freeman

The following papers are available to download:

 ‘Fair Funding for Care’

This meeting was held on Wednesday 29th of June at the Golden Lion Hotel, Stirling.  The theme of the meeting was ‘Fair Funding for Care’ and included

  • Paying For Austerity – Social Care Charges in Scotland
    Ian Hood, Coordinator of the Learning Disability Alliance
  • Care Policy and Equality: International models of good practice
    Kirstein Rummery, Professor of Social Policy, Stirling University
  • Planning for an Emergency, Enable Scotland
  • Sustainable funding for local carer services, Graham Reekie

The following papers are available to download:

AGM – November 2015

The Annual General Meeting of the Coalition of Carers in Scotland was held on Wednesday 25th November at the Apex Hotel, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh EH1 3BH.

The theme of the meeting was a ‘Healthier- Wealthier-Fairer’ Scotland for carers

Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport introduced the government’s plans for a healthier and fairer Scotland.  This was be followed by an interactive session to allow the government to hear directly from carers.

In the afternoon we had an update on the Carers Bill, and what amendments have been made in Stage 2 before it becomes an Act of Law.

The following papers are available:

August Meeting of the Carers Collaborative

Previous Meetings of the Coalition of Carers in Scotland

Our previous meeting was in  Glasgow on the 25th of March.   We disussed the Carers Bill and the legislative process.  We also hald an interactive session briging together views on the Bill.

The following papers are available

Annual General Meeting of the Coalition of Carers in Scotland 2014

Our A.G.M in Edinburgh on the 26th of November. We asked the question – If Scotland has more devolved powers – what will this mean for carers?

The following papers are available to download:

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