Chamber and committees

As set out in our National Carers Strategy, the Scottish Government recognises the importance of young carers being identified so that they can be supported in achieving their educational and wider goals.

Under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships are responsible for supporting young carers of all ages. Much of this support is delivered on their behalf by local third sector young carer projects and carer centres, and can include counselling, peer support groups and short break opportunities.

Young carers can also benefit from Scottish Government funded voluntary sector short breaks delivered through four national schemes – ‘Better Breaks’, ‘Creative Breaks’, ‘Time to Live’ and ‘Take a Break Scotland’.

In respect of the Young Carers Package, this is delivered on our behalf by Young Scot through their wider platform for children and young people. Young Scot Membership accounts are limited to young people age 12+, and the content of the package is designed for those aged between 12 and 18.

11 year old young carers can access a limited offline version of the package by completing a short form. Through this they will receive a £50 Love 2 Shop voucher which they can use to access a range of retailers. This is designed to provide a taste of what the package is like and encourage young carers to sign up to the full package once they turn 12.

We would encourage all young carers (including those under 11) and their families to contact their local young carer service, and to also speak with their schools about additional support they can offer.

We fund an Education Officer at Carers Trust Scotland, who works with Education Scotland, the General Teaching Council for Scotland and the Scottish Qualification Authority to help ensure education staff are aware of young carers and are able to support them appropriately. This has included producing a free and accredited e-module for all education staff to help them better understand how they can identify and support young carers.

Additionally, school nurses also have young carers as one of their 10 priorities. Once a young carer is referred to a school nurse with concerns, the school nurse may complete a GIRFEC wellbeing assessment, support referrals onto specialist services when needed and support with transitions.

The Scottish Government is focused on implementing a phased approach to improving the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). Scoping and planning of this work are underway in continued engagement with partners and stakeholders.

The management of the NHS clinical waste contract is the responsibility for Health Boards. NHS National Services Scotland’s National Procurement and Logistics Service manages the NHS’s relationship with the clinical waste contractor, however there is no target date for when all NHS clinical waste produced in Scotland is processed in Scotland.

This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.

This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.

This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.

This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.

This is a matter for NHS National Services Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government is actively exploring the use of Regulation 11 of the Scottish Specific Duties. This includes considering how this regulation might be used to encourage public bodies to make more effective use of intersectional equality data in policymaking. In the meantime, we continue to implement the Equality Evidence Strategy to support public bodies in this area.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with stakeholders to discuss the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). Over the past six months, we have met with various groups to ensure ongoing collaboration. This includes regular monthly meetings with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and frequent catch-up conversations. Director for Equalities, Inclusion and Human Rights, John Somers, also met with Head of EHRC Scotland, John Wilkes in June 2024.

Additionally, we have engaged with key stakeholders such as Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Zero Waste Scotland. We participated in a sectoral event with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and EHRC, and held discussions with the NDPB Equalities Forum, Communications Inclusion People, and Engender. These engagements are crucial in shaping our approach to equality and human rights across Scotland.

The Scottish Government has further engagement planned to continue our discussions on the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). In late autumn, we will be holding roundtable discussions with both duty bearers and equality advocacy groups. These sessions will focus on the 2025-2029 equality outcome setting process as part of the ongoing improvement of the PSED regime.