Carers Census, Scotland, 2021-22

Key Points

• the data presented here for 2021-22 will likely be an undercount of the true number of carers being supported by local services.
• there were 42,050 individual carers being supported by local services across Scotland in 2021-22. This is more than a 30% increase from the 31,760 unique carers identified in 2020-21. This may be due in part to a greater number of organisations submitting data this year.
• there was a notable deprivation effect for young carers supported by local services. In 2021-22, 16% of young carers lived in areas within the most deprived Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) decile, while 4% lived in areas within the least deprived SIMD decile.
• the most commonly reported impact of providing unpaid care in 2021-22 was on carers’ emotional well-being. For records where this information was available; nearly 70% of carers experienced an impact on their emotional well-being due to their caring role.
• based on records where information on Adult Carer Support Plans (ACSPs) and Young Carer Statements (YCSs) were available; 55% of carers supported by local services had a complete ACSP or YCS in place in 2021-22, while for 44% their ACSP or YCS was incomplete. Some carers were recorded as having both a complete and incomplete plan. This may reflect changes to their situation.
• based on records where information on support provided to carers was available; the most common form of support provided to carers was advice and information. Young carers supported by local services were more likely to be provided with short breaks or respite than adult carers.