Recognising the significant contribution made by Scotland's unpaid carers, the Scottish Government is committed to developing a new Strategy for Carers in Scotland for publication in the first half of 2010. This will build on progress since the publication of the then-Scottish Executive's response to the Care 21 Report: The Future of Unpaid Care in Scotland as well as the previous Strategy for Carers, published in 1999.
The Carers Strategy is currently being developed by the Scottish Government in partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) and this work is being informed by the work of a Steering Group. The Steering Group includes representatives from the National Carers Organisations. We are also working with the Social Work Inspection Agency and the Association of Directors of Social Work.
To support the development of the Carers Strategy, a Carers Reference Group has also been set up. This comprises a number of carers with different caring experiences and from across different parts of Scotland. The Reference Group is reviewing the work that is being carried out and ensuring that the strategy reflects carers' experiences, needs and priorities.
As the revised Carers Strategy will have a specific "lift-out" section on young carers, a Young Carers Steering Group has also been convened. This comprises representatives from the Scottish Government, CoSLA, the Scottish Young Carers Services Alliance, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, Carers Scotland, Children 1st, the Social Work Inspection Agency, Barnardos, the NHS in Scotland and the Association of the Directors of Education.
Early development work, which has involved key partners and taken into account the views of unpaid carers, has confirmed the need for the new Carers Strategy in Scotland to:
- Reflect the needs of unpaid carers and recognise different groups of carers
- Promote positive outcomes for unpaid carers and the people that they care for
- Highlight the main issues for unpaid carers - as identified by carers themselves
- Promote awareness and understanding of unpaid carers across a range of services
- Promote the delivery of personalised services, that better meet people's needs
- Develop short-term and long-term priorities for unpaid carer support
- Support and inform the development of local carers' support services
- Include a separate, 'lift out' section on young carers, focusing on their specific needs
- Monitor implementation of the Strategy to ensure improvements in services/outcomes
These are the objectives we are working towards in developing the Carers Strategy throughout the course of 2009 and into early 2010.
We would welcome your views on the priorities that the Carers Strategy should address and on what actions and developments are necessary to ensure that all partners work more effectively together to better support carers, to sustain appropriate levels of caring, whilst enabling young carers to be children and young people first and for all carers to enjoy a good quality of life outwith caring.
If you would be interested in contributing, please respond in writing by 26 February 2010 to:
The Scottish Government
Community Care Division
Policy for Unpaid Carers
Floor 2ER
St Andrew's House
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
or email carers.strategy@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Carers Strategy, 1999
UK Government's Strategy for Carers