Support for Carers

The welcome introduction of The Carers (Scotland) Act and along with new responsibilities in respect of the preparation of Adult Carer Support Plans, and Young Carer Statements has been developed.

The Carers (Scotland) Act was implemented locally in partnership with Carers Link, Education services, Adult and Children’s Social Work services and local carer groups and voluntary sector.

Carers support includes a range of services, including overnight stays and respite care to make sure that disabled people receive a service which is designed to best meet all their needs for health, housing and social care. It can be provided in a carer's own home, the cared for person’s home or elsewhere and may extend from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks.

Short breaks or respite care should be a good experience for you, the carer, and the person you care for. If you spend a lot of time caring for your partner, relative or friend you may need a break from doing this in order to improve your quality of life, support you in your relationship and help you to continue in your caring role.

We can provide a range of supports to enable the person you care for to be well looked after and to give you some time to enjoy a break from your caring role. Alternatively you may wish to consider using the Self-Directed Support options to have more choice and control over how the short break/respite care will be delivered. Learn more on our Self-Directed Support web page.

Short breaks or respite care can be arranged to take place in a variety of settings and in a range of different ways:

• In your own home
• In the cared for person’s own home
• Holiday breaks
• Breaks together for you and the person you care for
• Specialist Guest Houses
• Breaks in the home of others i.e. a family member
• Care homes.

We would need to speak to you and the person you care for to assess what we think you need, discuss the best way of providing this support and how you could use the self-directed support options. The person you care for would also need to agree to accept the support.

If you live independently but need support to live at home due to your age or disability, we can help you to access a holiday or short break. This help may consist of making a contribution towards the support you require when you are on holiday, providing you with advice and information to help you choose the right place to go or assisting you to make practical or transport arrangements.

If you already have a Social Worker or Care Manager you should contact them. Otherwise please contact us through Customer Services.