The Scottish Government has launched a 12‑week consultation on the new Right to Breaks for carers in Scotland. This change to existing carers legislation aims to give unpaid carers stronger rights, so that anyone who is not getting sufficient breaks from caring can get the support they need to take a break.
Under this change in legislation, Local Authorities will have a duty to make sure carers get the support they need to take a sufficient break from caring. At the moment, they are proposing to do this using the information collected through Adult Carer Support Plans and Young Carer Statements.
The consultation is asking for your views on:
what “sufficient breaks” should mean
what types of breaks should be included in the new Right to Breaks
timescales for preparing Adult Carer Support Plans and Young Carer Statements
how the transition to the new system should work
Your experiences and opinions will directly help shape the final regulations and guidance for these new rights. You can take part in the consultation here:
There are also some opportunities to participate in engagement events with the national carer organisations to ensure your voices and views are heard. Shared Care Scotland are hosting an online roundtable on the right to a break consultation. This is an opportunity for you to share your views with them on the latest developments of the right to a break. Join them on 27 March to ensure your voice is heard at a national level and continues to influence their mission to improve short breaks access in Scotland.
Link to register for Shared Care Scotland Roundtable
Coalition of Carers will also be holding engagement events with carers in the coming weeks so you will have more opportunities to discuss what this could mean for you. We will share information on these as soon as we have it.