Carers
Carers play an essential role in people’s lives by helping to provide care to someone who needs it.What is a Carer?
An unpaid carer is anyone looking after a family member, friend or neighbour who needs help because of illness, disability, physical or mental health problems or addiction.
This care is provided without payment and is not part of a formal employment arrangement.
Are you carer?
Below are some of the things that an unpaid carer might do for the cared for person, however, often unpaid carers are carrying out many of these tasks all at once:
- Attend appointments
- Hospital visits
- Provide emotional support
- Housework
- Keeping someone safe
- Medication
- Providing medical care at home, for example, home oxygen therapy or enteral feeding
- Personal care
- Phone calls
- Attending health and social care meetings
- Shopping
Young people may also be carers if they provide (or intend to provide) care for another person and are under the age of 18, or 18 and over but still attending school.
Carers do not have to:
- live with the person they care for
- be the only carer
- be related to the person they care for
What is the Carers Act?
The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 came into force on 1 April 2018, introducing new legal duties and a range of provisions to help better identify, include, and support carers.
The Act gives all unpaid carers rights to an adult carer support plan (ACSP) or young carer statement (YCS) to identify each unpaid carer’s personal outcomes and needs for support.
The aim is to
- plan ahead
- think of personal outcomes
- have this recorded to share when engaging in health and social services
The Act also states that carers
- have a right to support to meet any ‘eligible needs’
- have a right to be involved in services
- have a right to be involved in the hospital discharge process of the person they are or are going to be caring for
Create an emergency plan
What would happen if you couldn’t be there for the person you care for? Having an emergency plan in place means that if you are unable to fulfil your caring role, such as becoming ill or a family emergency, practical arrangements for short-term unplanned periods can be put in place.
Emergency Planning Toolkit
Useful Downloads
Carer Services and Information
North Lanarkshire Carer Information
North Lanarkshire Council
North Lanarkshire Carers Together
Provide a range of services for carers who live in North Lanarkshire and the professional partners who encounter carers.
Lanarkshire Carers
Works with and for carers to develop and deliver services that make a positive difference to their lives.
North Lanarkshire Young Carers – Action for Children
Raise awareness, identify and provide direct support to children and young people who look after or help to look after someone in their family who is unwell or disabled, including children caring for parents who have mental health or substance misuse problems.
South Lanarkshire Carer Information
Lanarkshire Carers
Works with and for carers to develop and deliver services that make a positive difference to their lives.
South Lanarkshire Council
South Lanarkshire Young Carers – Action for Children
Raise awareness, identify and provide direct support to children and young people who look after or help to look after someone in their family who is unwell or disabled, including children caring for parents who have mental health or substance misuse problems.
National
- Carers Trust – https://carers.org/
- Carers UK – https://www.carersuk.org/
- Care Information Scotland – https://www.careinfoscotland.scot/
- Alzheimer Scotland – https://www.alzscot.org/community-support/carer-support/
BSL Carers Information
The following video gives information on support for Carers in South Lanarkshire in BSL and is subtitled.
Benefits & Grants
There are a number of benefits and grants that you or the person you are caring for may be eligible for. To find out more visit:
Carer Positive
NHS Lanarkshire is at ‘Engaged’ level of the Carer Positive scheme, a Scottish Government-funded initiative that encourages employers to provide a supportive working environment for staff with caring responsibilities.
NHS Lanarkshire was awarded recognition within the Carer Positive initiative, demonstrating their commitment to supporting employees who juggle paid work with their roles.
Workforce Carers
We recognise that some staff have caring responsibilities and are balancing work with looking after family members or friends. We will continue to promote our Carer Positive approach to help support and retain these staff. You can view the Special Leave Policy | NHS Scotland to understand more about leave entitlements.
Further support and information can be accessed from:
- NHS Lanarkshire Spiritual care team Staff Care and Wellbeing | NHS Lanarkshire
- National Wellbeing Hub Home – National Wellbeing Hub
- Carer Services and Information
Carers frequently experience money worries due to reduced working hours, increased costs associated with caring, and inadequate benefit payments, leading to financial hardship, debt, and anxiety.
Money advice can be accessed for:
- South Lanarkshire residents at Money Matters Advice Service – South Lanarkshire Council
- North Lanarkshire residents at Benefits and money | North Lanarkshire Council
For outwith these areas contact your local authority money advice team.
Further Learning
Equal Partners In Care – (EPiC) is a learning resources which enables health and social care staff to identify, support and work with carers as equal partners.
Your Feedback – comments, concerns and complaints
NHS Lanarkshire is committed to improving the service it provides to patients and their families. We therefore want to hear from you about your experience. If you would like to tell us about this please visit our feedback page.
