Today, 21st November 2024 is Carers Rights Day. This year’s theme is recognising your rights.
Every day, 12,000 people become unpaid carers for a partner, family member or a friend – many of whom don’t see themselves as carers, often unaware of their legal rights and what they’re entitled to in terms of support and benefits. The aim of Carers Rights Day this year is to help carers recognise and understand their rights, and to access the support available to them, whenever they need it.
As a carer, knowing your rights empowers you with information about what you’re entitled to. This helps you feel confident asking for what you need, as well as challenging things when your rights are not being met – whether that be in the workplace or education, in accessing health or social care, or when interacting with other professionals or at home.
Carers of East Lothian and East Lothian Council Young Carers Service have worked with East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership to develop this short video with the aim of supporting carers to recognise their rights and find out more information about how they can access support in East Lothian.
The right to access a local information and advice service
Unpaid carers have the right to access a local information and advice service. Your local service as an adult is Carers of East Lothian. We are based on the ground floor at East Lothian Community Hospital. We offer a range of support, including groups, one to one support, counselling and welfare rights. We are open Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm. You can pop in and see us in the office, or you can call us on 01316650135 or email on centre@coel.org.uk to make an enquiry.
You can also refer yourself to support or refer someone else for support by following this online link: https://www.coel.org.uk/contact-us/online-referral-form/
The right to request an Adult Carer Support Plan if over 18
Carers in Scotland have the right to request an Adult Carer Support Plan. These are usually completed with support from Carers of East Lothian who will help you think about the impact of caring, what really matters to you and what support would make a difference to your individual situation. If you would like to request an Adult Carer Support Plan, you can do so by emailing centre@coel.org.uk or by referring yourself to CoEL, following this link: https://www.coel.org.uk/contact-us/online-referral-form/
The right to access support if needs are eligible
Carers in Scotland have the right to access support if they have eligible needs. Your Adult Carer Support Plan might identify needs that cannot be met by supports that are universally available. If this is the case, you can share your plan with East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership and access funded supports if you meet local eligibility criteria. The Carer Support Worker who helped you work through your plan will support you with this process.
The right to be consulted on services for you or the person you are caring for
Carers in Scotland have the right to be consulted on services for them or the person they are caring for. You should have the chance to have your say on your own support or the support for the person you care for. You should be treated as an equal partner in care.
All local authorities and health boards have a responsibility to listen to the views of carers in the strategic planning of carer services. One way that you can get involved in local consultations in East Lothian is by joining the Carers Panel through Carers of East Lothian. The panel meets every 4-6 weeks and is open to anyone in a current or former caring situation in East Lothian. The aim of the group is to strengthen the collective voice of carers in East Lothian. The panel is chaired by Gemma from Carers of East Lothian. You can email her on gemma@coel.org.uk If you would like to read more about the Carers Panel, please click on the following link: https://www.coel.org.uk/for-carers/carers-panel/
The right to be included in hospital discharge planning for the person you are caring for
Carers in Scotland have the right to be included in hospital discharge planning for the person they are caring for. If the person you are caring for is admitted to hospital, you should be identified as their carer as early as possible and included in the discharge planning for the person you care for. Carers of East Lothian work closely with East Lothian Community Hospital to support carers of people in hospital. Rowena is the Hospital Link Worker for Carers of East Lothian. Please ask for Rowena on Ward 3 of East Lothian Community Hospital or fill in one of the slips on the ward to notify her that you would like support.
The right to a young carer statement if under 18
Young Carers in Scotland have the right to request a Young Carer Statement. A Young Carer Statement asks questions like what it is like to be a young carer and what would help us support our mental health and wellbeing. Young Carer Statements are completed with the help of the Young Carer Service. Young Carers are registered with the service by completing a brief questionnaire, which can be found on the service website.
Follow this link for more information: www.eastlothian.gov.uk/young-carers
The right to up to 5 days unpaid leave to better balance work with your caring responsibilities
The Carers Leave Act came into effect in 2024. This law enables carers to gain access to specific employment rights regarding taking time off work. Employees who are carers have the right to up to five days unpaid leave to help them balance work with their caring responsibilities. Speak to your employer about how they can support you at work. You can request to take this leave flexibly, either in small amounts, for example, to attend appointments, or all at once if that’s what you need. If you would like to talk to someone about any of the issues related to being a working carer, you can contact Carers of East Lothian on centre@coel.org.uk or 01316650135.
Carers also have the right to:
• request flexible working
• ask their GP practice to identify them as a carer
• request a free flu jab
• protection against discrimination or harassment
If you are an unpaid carer who would like more information about any of your rights, please contact us on 01316650135. If you know an unpaid carer, please share this information with them to help them to access any support that they may need.
To mark Carers Rights Day, Carers of East Lothian have also written to all elected members for East Lothian. We have asked them to commit to actions to support unpaid carers, including supporting the right to breaks from caring and increased financial support.
