During 2009 and early 2010, the Scottish Government will be developing a new Carer Strategy for Scotland. The strategy will build on the recommendations contained in the Care 21 report into the future of unpaid care in Scotland and will be a joint publication with CoSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities). Shared Care Scotland is on the reference group for this work and we will publish progress reports on this website.
Various sub groups have been established to take forward work on different aspects of the Carers Strategy. All workstreams are overseen by the Main Reference Group and the Carers Reference Group.
NEW: The Scottish Government has a new section on their website devoted to policy and practice developments related to unpaid carers. The website also contains information about the Carers Strategy for Scotland.
NEW....Where is the good practice?
In developing support to unpaid carers, including young carers, in Scotland and in producing a new Carers Strategy for publication in 2010, the Scottish Government’s Carers Policy Branch would like to collate examples of good practice in identifying, supporting and engaging with unpaid carers and young carers. This will help others to learn from effective practice and, through the sharing of experiences and ideas, promote improved responses to carers and young carers in Scotland.
Examples are being sought of projects or services - such as respite care/short breaks - that exemplify “good practice” in supporting unpaid carers and young carers and that has some supporting evidence/evaluation. Some of the information submitted will be included in the new Carers Strategy, other information may be promoted on the Carers Policy Branch’s website pages or showcased in future events as examples of how to achieve improved outcomes for Scotland’s estimated 600,000 unpaid carers.
Examples to be returned by 15th February 2010.
Scottish Government Lead for Carers Strategy:
Moira Oliphant
Team Leader
Community Care Division
Policy for Unpaid Carers
The Scottish Government
Floor 2ER
St Andrew's House
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
Tel: 0131 244 3503
Email: moira.oliphant@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
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Respite Task Group - 2006 to 2008
As part of the Scottish Executives response to the 'Care 21 Future of Unpaid Care in Scotland' report's recommendations, a Task Group has been established to assess respite provision in Scotland and examine what steps need to be taken to improve the range, access to and quality of short break/respite opportunities.
Summary minutes and other papers related to work of the Task Group will be posted here. More detailed minutes from the meetings are available on request.
LATEST: The Scottish Government has completed its analysis of the consultation responses and is preparing to publish the Guidance in the summer of 2008. For a copy of Shared Care Scotland's response to the consultation, please click here (Word doc). A report from the guidance consultation event co hosted by Shared Care Scotland and COCIS can be downloaded here (PDF doc).Background Papers:
Consultation on the Respite Care Guidance: October 2007- January 2008
The Draft Respite Care Guidance is now out for consultation. To download a copy please click here.
Shared Care Scotland and the Coalition of Carers in Scotland are holding a consultation event on the guidance on the 28th November 2007, in Glasgow from 11.00am to 3.00pm. This event is aimed at carers, service users and advocacy/support workers.
Scottish Executive response to Care 21 Recommendation 20 on the need to improve short break and respite support
"The Executive accepts the need for a strategic approach to respite provision for carers. We have provided significant additional resources for respite in recent years and are focusing performance management on this area through Local Improvement Targets.
We will move quickly to establish a task group to assess respite provision in Scotland; update national strategic guidance for respite services and help develop local service redesign to shift the focus of local provision to preventative, personalised respite care. Whilst the work will reflect the interests of cared for people, its primary focus will be on breaks from caring for the benefit of adult carers. Work on service re-design and establishing better local and national information on respite services will require a significant input from both carers and users. (Separate strategic work on young carers will address respite for this group.)
The group's work will include an assessment of information on existing models of respite provision and need, to inform consideration of the recommendation for additional provision in the spending review.
Shifts towards early intervention and preventative, personalised care are important aspects of Changing Lives and the forthcoming Changing Lives implementation plan will flag up the importance of respite to those agendas. We will also ask the group to assist in informing the development of service redesign approaches and projects to help shift the focus of local provision to personalised, preventative respite care.
The group will review existing respite guidance and update it where necessary to set out what should be covered in local service planning and to underpin Local Improvement Targets for respite services.
In relation to the report's recommendation for a statutory minimum entitlement to respite, we are concerned that this could cut across existing local authority responsibilities for providing care and support in the light of assessment of needs and a prioritisation of available resources. If, after conclusion of the work outlined above, it appears that a statutory entitlement to respite might have a useful role to play, we will reconsider the issue."
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