Carers (Scotland) Act 2016: statutory guidance - updated July 2021

Glossary

the Act

• The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016

ACSP

• Adult carer support plan

adult carer (defined in section 3 of the Act)

• A carer who is at least 18 years old and not a young carer.

adult carer support plan (defined in section 6)

• Replaces the 'Carer's Assessment' for adult carers and sets out a carer's identified personal outcomes, identified needs for support (if any), and any other support that the responsible local authority is to provide to the carer.

break from caring

• Any form of support that enables a carer to have time away from their caring responsibilities. Support can include, for example, a short break or care for the cared-for person that enables the carer to have a break.

care for the cared-for person

• This is care provided to the cared-for person, which replaces care previously given by the carer, and which is provided as a form of support to the carer so the carer can have a break from caring. This may include 'replacement care'.

carer (defined in section 1)

• Someone who provides (or intends to provide) care for a cared-for person, but not:
  • only by virtue of the cared-for person's age if they are under 18 years old;
  • if the care provided is under contract; or
  • if the care provided is voluntary work.

eligible needs (defined in section 24(3))

• These are the needs for support identified in the adult carer support plan or young carer statement, to enable a carer to achieve their personal outcomes which:
  • cannot be met through services available to the cared-for person, or through services generally available to people in the area of the responsible local authority or where the carer lives; and
  • also meet the local eligibility criteria.

identified needs (defined in section 5)

• These are the needs for support identified in the adult carer support plan or young carer statement, to enable a carer to achieve their personal outcomes. Carers whose identified needs do not meet local eligibility criteria may still have access to other forms of support including, for example, information and advice services. Responsible local authorities have a power to provide support to meet carers' identified needs which do not meet local eligibility criteria.

information and advice service (required under section 34)

• A service in each local authority area, providing information and advice on a range of mandatory topics relevant to carers. It should be accessible to carers who are resident in that local authority area, or caring for someone in that local authority area.

integration authority

• Established between the local authority and health board, an integration authority is responsible for directing the execution of various local authority and health board functions that have been delegated to it. These arrangements are detailed in a local Integration Scheme and must include adult social care, adult primary health care and unscheduled adult hospital care. They may also include children's care and criminal justice social work.

kinship carer

• A relative or close friend looking after a child in place of the child's parents. In some cases they will have a kinship carer agreement with the local authority.

local eligibility criteria (defined in section 21(2))

• The criteria to be set and published by each local authority, which are to be used to determine whether the local authority is required to provide support to meet an individual carer's identified needs.

personal outcomes (defined in section 4)

• These include outcomes which, if achieved, would enable a carer to provide, or continue to provide, care for the cared-for person. They should be outcomes that matter to an individual carer, which could include outcomes around having a life alongside caring and looking after the carer's own health and wellbeing.

responsible authority (defined in section 41)

• The body responsible for preparing a young carer statement. This can be either a health board, local authority, or the directing authority of a grant-aided or independent school.

responsible local authority (defined in section 41)

• The local authority for the area in which the cared-for person lives. Many of the duties under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 are for local authorities to exercise.

short break

• A short break is a form of support that can enable a break from caring. They can be taken with or without the cared-for person, and normally involve a leisure pursuit, holiday break, or other type of informal activity.

short breaks services statement (defined in section 35(3))

• A publication in each local authority area setting out information about short breaks services available in Scotland for carers and cared-for persons.

young carer (defined in section 2)

• A carer who is under 18 years old, or is 18 or over and still attending school.

young carer statement (defined in section 12)

• A new document for young carers, prepared by the responsible authority which sets out a young carer's identified personal outcomes, identified needs for support (if any) and any other support that the responsible local authority is to provide to the young carer.

YCS

• Young carer statement