Timescales for adult carer support plans and young carer statements: consultation analysis

Summary

The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 extends and enhances the rights of unpaid carers in Scotland, by giving all carers the right to an adult carer support plan (ACSP) from their responsible local authority^[1] or young carer statement (YCS) from the responsible authority^[2].

The Act requires Scottish Ministers to set timescales for preparing adult carer support plans (ACSP) and young carer statements (YCS) for carers of people who are terminally ill with a life expectancy of up to 6 months.

The consultation on timescales for adult carer support plans and young carer statements for carers of terminally ill persons sought views on:

• the overall outcome these regulations should seek to support and the principles they should follow;
• when the timescales in the regulations should be triggered, i.e. when the clock should start;
• time limits for holding the first substantive conversation with the carer to start preparing an adult carer support plan or young carer statement; and
• time limits for completing an adult carer support plan or young carer statement;
• whether the time limits for the first substantive conversation should include non-working days or working days only; and
• whether there should be different time limits for adult carers and young carers.

The consultation was developed with input from a task group involving representatives from Palliative Care Scotland, Marie Curie, Macmillan Cancer Support, Association of Palliative Care Social Workers, Children's Hospices Across Scotland, Carers Trust Scotland and COSLA.

The consultation opened on 18/01/2019 for 12 weeks and closed on the 12/04/2019.

• 46 responses were received.
  (47 responses were submitted on line, but 1 response contained no data)
• 23 individuals responded.
• 23 organisations responded.
  • 16 Statutory organisations.
  • 7 Non Statutory organisations.

The responses to the consultation have been analysed in this paper and discussed with the task group to help inform the draft regulations and associated guidance.