Monday 13th April, 2015
Supporting Carers
Carers fulfil a vital role in our society looking after those in need of help, but too often they go without the support they need.
While it can be a rewarding experience, I have met with many constituents over the years who say that caring can also result in financial hardship, health problems and emotional stress as they try to juggle all the other responsibilities that life brings.
This is why the Scottish Government has proposed it’s Carers (Scotland) Bill which aims to improve the support currently available to the 8,000 carers here in Inverclyde and the hundreds of thousands that exist across the country.
Given that there are now more people than ever before who are caring intensively, for more hours each week, the government is proposing that local authorities carry out assessments to identify if people have the full support they need in relation to the person they are looking after.
Furthermore, it wants to give carers a greater say in the planning, shaping and delivery of services they use so that they better reflect their needs.
The Parliament’s Health and Sports Committee which I convene has just recently issued a call for views as it begins scrutiny of the Bill and we are keen to hear directly from both young and adult carers.
Do you support the Bill? How do you feel it could be strengthened? Is there anything that you would add or remove from the Bill? These are just some of the questions we are asking.
To read more about the proposed legislation and to submit your views, then please visit the Health Committee’s page on the Scottish Parliament’s website at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk
I hope that as a result of this process together we can make life better for carers and those who they care for.