Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 June 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is working with local authorities to ensure that unpaid carers are supported and involved in their communities.
We recognise the immense contribution unpaid carers make to communities across Scotland, and we are continuing to work closely with local authorities and partners to ensure carers are supported, recognised and involved in decisions that affect them.
Through the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, local authorities and integration authorities have clear duties to provide support for unpaid carers, including access to personalised support planning, information and advice services, and local carer strategies. Authorities must publish key documents so that carers can understand what support is available locally and what they are entitled to – a local carer strategy, local eligibility criteria and a short breaks service statement. We are investing £88.4 million each year through the local government settlement to support implementation of the Act.
We are also supporting local carer centres and organisations that help carers stay connected to their communities. In 2026-27, we are providing £600,000 to local carer centres, alongside £13 million for voluntary sector short breaks funding, including £6.5 million delivered through local carer centres.
Through the Care Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, we will establish a right to breaks from caring to support people to protect their wellbeing and sustain caring relationships. These changes place new duties on Local Authorities to determine, through a carer’s personalised plan, whether a carer can take sufficient breaks from their caring role; and if not, to provide support to enable this.
In addition, we continue to engage directly with carers and representative organisations through forums such as the annual Carers Parliament and Young Carers Festival, ensuring carers’ voices help shape national and local policy development.
We are also working with local authorities and health and social care partnerships to strengthen carer involvement in hospital discharge processes, supported by workforce training and resources to improve identification, inclusion and support for unpaid carers across services.
Our National Carers Strategy has driven cross-government action to improve recognition and valuing of unpaid carers, including strengthening carer involvement, improving awareness of carers’ rights, and promoting carers as equal partners in care across public services and communities.
Together, these actions ensure that unpaid carers can access breaks, peer support, wellbeing activities and community-based support.