Report reveals “patchwork” of services for Scotland’s young carers
The level of services for young carers varies greatly throughout Scotland, according to a new report.
Commissioned by The Princess Royal Trust for Carers with the support of the Scottish Young Carers Services Alliance, the report looked at what is available for young carers in Scotland. It is the first report of its kind and it provides a comprehensive view of services, highlighting that the bulk of help for young carers is provided by voluntary organisations – such as The Trust.
The mapping exercise was funded by the Scottish Government to help build a clear picture of dedicated and mainstream support for young carers in Scotland.
There are an estimated 100,000 young carers in Scotland. Carers and young carers in Scotland are estimated to save the Scottish Government £7.6 billion a year, thanks to the unpaid care they provide to their loved ones.
The key points revealed by the report are:
- 29 of the 32 local authority areas have a dedicated service for young carers
- 26 of these services are provided by the voluntary sector
- 20 of the services that responded to the survey said that they have a waiting list
- the scale and type of services for young carers in each area varies greatly
- there are no dedicated services for young carers in the West Dunbartonshire, Shetland and Western Isles areas
The report states: “The research highlighted a ‘patchwork’ of service provision to young carers across the 32 local authority areas in Scotland and an uneven distribution of services within areas.
“The majority of the dedicated services [for young carers] are delivered by voluntary sector organisations and many rely on short-term charitable funding sources. The sustainability of many of the services is under threat.”
The report has also highlighted that there are examples of good partnerships between dedicated projects and mainstream services, especially schools. But this is patchy and often depends on individuals.
Many local authorities reported that young carers would be receiving services from the range of mainstream provision aimed at supporting vulnerable children. However, the children and young people wouldn’t be identified primarily as young carers.
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers believes young carers do need to be recorded as young carers. They often have responsibilities which would normally fall to an adult and the services provided for them should reflect what they do and what they need.
Florence Burke, the Scotland Director of The Trust, said: “For the first time, the information from this report gives us – and statutory services – a comprehensive picture of young carers’ services across Scotland.
“Young carers provide a vital contribution to Scottish society – for free. In the majority of cases, young carers don’t want our pity, but they do need support to carry out their role. And that support is largely provided by the voluntary sector.
“The report will allow us to plan our services and the key areas we need to develop and I would hope that local authorities can use the information in the same way, particularly in those areas where there is no dedicated service for young carers or where demand far outstrips supply.”
Public Health minister Shona Robison said: “The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring young carers can enjoy their youth and keep up with their school work, friends and hobbies.
“A wide range of support is available through voluntary organisations, schools, social services and the NHS, but there is more to do to better that help.
“Early next year, we will be publishing our national carers’ strategy, which – for the first time – will have a dedicated section focused on improving support for young carers.
“This summer we will also be having a national young carers festival, which will give young carers a well deserved break and an opportunity to tell us how best we can support them.”
The full report and breakdown of the individual council areas is available online in our publications section.
If you work with young carers, you can find information and resources on our website for professionals
Young carers can find information and support on YCNet, our website for young carers.
Published: 17 June 2009