Research published by the Coalition of Carers in Scotland today shows that despite the introduction of the Carers Act five years ago, many of the rights in the legislation are still not being fulfilled.

The Carers (Scotland) Act was introduced in 2018 to give carers some very specific rights such as:

  • the right to request an adult carer support plan or young carer statement
  • the right to access support if they meet the local eligibility criteria
  • the right to be included in the hospital discharge discussion for the person they are caring for
  • the right to be included in discussions about support and services for them or the person they care for.

 

1,278 carers from across Scotland responded to a survey about carers rights and their experiences of accessing their rights from local authorities and health boards.

67% of carers who responded to the survey this year had some awareness of the Carers Act. However, despite being far more aware of their rights than they were 5 years ago, many of those rights are not actually being realised in practice.

For example:

  •  Not all carers are able to access their local information and advice services
  •  Carers are waiting far too long for an Adult Carer Support plan to be completed
  •  Carers who are caring for someone with a terminal condition aren’t always identified and offered support early enough.
  •  High thresholds for Local Eligibility Criteria are preventing carers from accessing statutory support unless they are in crisis
  •  Carers are not always given the opportunity to be involved in discussions around hospital discharge planning
  •  Carers are not being fully included in the design and development of local carer services and policies

 

We have made some very specific recommendations in the report for duty bearers (this includes local authorities, health boards, and Scottish Government) to take more responsibility to fulfil their duties to protect and respect the rights of carers.

 

In the report we also outline practical examples of how local authorities and health boards can implement a more human rights based approach to supporting carers.

You can download the report in full here.

 

For any enquiries about the report, contact Shubhanna Hussain at shubhanna@carersnet.org