Caring Together: The Carers Strategy for Scotland 2010 - 2015

The Scottish Government. with COSLA, will keep this strategy under review. An Implementation and Monitoring Group will report annually on progress with the first report being undertaken by August 2011. A formal review will be concluded by August 2013. As part of the review the Scottish Government, with COSLA, and informed by the views of stakeholders, including carers, will decide whether new or revised actions would be appropriate.

Scottish Government and

COSLA

- with partners

Councils, with partners in NHS Boards, the national carer organisations and other Third Sector organisations, will continue to promote personalisation, working towards a position whereby staff at all levels receive induction training and continuous professional development on this approach, including having specific regard to the personalisation of carers' support (also see chapter 14 on training).

Councils

- with Health Boards, NCOs and other Third Sector organisations

The Scottish Government will publish on its website each year the baseline position on respite support to carers and the position in all years up to 2015.

Scottish Government

Each year, participating local partnerships will collect the relevant data on outcome measures relating to carers in the Community Care Outcomes Framework and will publish progress against the three outcome measures.

Local Community Care Partnerships

- with Community Care Benchmarking Network

Over the next 5 years, councils and Health Boards, with partners, will take account of good practice promoted in local authority and Health Board areas and will consider how the good practice can be transferred, if appropriate, and/or will consider whether or how existing services and supports can best be reconfigured to achieve the best outcomes for carers and for those they care for. As a first step, councils and Health Boards, with partners, will consider the good practice contained in the publication accompanying this strategy.

Councils and Health Boards

- with partners

By 2015, the Scottish Government will ensure that the intentions to accelerate the pace of sharing good practice under Reshaping Care take account of good practice in supporting carers.

Scottish Government

The Scottish Government will make the information collected on carers and young carers through surveys such as the Scottish Household Survey and Scottish Health Survey accessible to researchers, care providers and the public through its website and publications.

Scottish Government

- with local authorities

In respect of the 2011 Census, the views of carers' organisations will be taken into account in deciding what analysis tables will be produced for the General Register Office for Scotland 2011 Census website.

Scottish Government

- with GRO(s)

In 2011-12, the Scottish Government will draw up a specification and seek to commission research on communities of carers we know little about including refugees, asylum seekers, gypsy travellers and carers with disabilities, including learning disabilities. (Relevant to young carers too).

Scottish Government

- with NCOs

By 2012, if they have not already done so, local authorities with partners, will wish to revisit their local carer strategies to identify and support carers in need according to their own assessment of need. To support this process, the Scottish Government will produce a short list of key points that local carer strategies should address.

Councils

Scottish Government

By 2013, local authorities, with partners, will aim to identify carers in greatest need according to an objective assessment of need, and in line with published indicators, which also takes account of the nature and level of risk. They will aim to provide support, or signpost on to support.

Councils

Over the next five years, local authorities and Health Boards, with partners, should seek to provide preventative support to carers and minimise the need for crisis intervention.

Councils and Health Boards

Over the next 5 years the Reshaping Older People's Care Programme will look to ensure a focus on early intervention for carers. Good practice in this area will be transferred to other care settings.

Scottish Government

- with partners

The Scottish Government, with COSLA and partners, will ensure that all the Action Points in this strategy are taken forward in ways which fully address the equalities perspective.

Scottish Government and

COSLA

- with partners

From 2010 onwards, the Scottish Government will work with the relevant local authorities, Health Boards and Third Sector organisations to develop plans to help address rural carer issues.

Scottish Government

- with councils and Health Boards and other partners

From 2010 onwards, the Scottish Government will work with the national carer organisations to promote the Equality Act 2010, once commenced, especially the provisions providing protection from discrimination for carers.

Scottish Government

- with NCOs

The Scottish Government will work with COSLA and local authorities to ensure a consistent approach across local authorities to the employment of close family members in exceptional circumstances. The guidance on implementation of the Self-Directed Support Strategy, to be produced by the Scottish Government, will include a section on approaches to the employment of close family members in exceptional circumstances.

Scottish Government and COSLA

- with councils

By December 2011, the Scottish Government will produce, with COSLA and partners, a Carers Rights Charter for wide distribution to local authorities, Health Boards, Community Health Partnerships and other bodies. By December 2013, the Scottish Government will consider whether further rights should be enshrined in law.

Scottish Government

- with councils, NHS Boards, NCOs and other partners

In 2010-11, the Scottish Government will ensure carer representation on CHPs by writing to the Chief Executives of Health Boards to make this happen.

Scottish Government

In 2010-11, in taking forward a review of Public Partnership Forums, the Scottish Government will ensure that it consults with appropriate carer organisations in order that their interests are fully represented.

Scottish Government

Local authorities and NHS Boards will ensure they fully involve the national carer organisations, other Third Sector organisations and carers, as appropriate in the planning and shaping of services and support.

Councils

NHS Boards

- with partners

In 2010 and beyond, the Scottish Government and COSLA will promote the Social Care Procurement Guidance to local authorities so that they are aware of that part of the guidance on carer participation and can act on it as appropriate. Furthermore, the Scottish Government will provide training for procurement staff, establish learning networks, and promote good practice to continue to seek improvement in procurement practices across Scotland, which will take account of the need to involve carers.

Scottish Government

COSLA

From 2010 onwards, the Scottish Government will promote this strategy with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships ( ADPs) and with the Scottish Drugs Recovery Consortium ( SDRC) and will work with ADPs and with the SDRC to help identify and support carers of people with substance misuse problems.

Scottish Government

- with ADPs and SDRC

The Scottish Government will approach all relevant national training and qualification accreditation bodies to agree how they could integrate carer identification and awareness into the curriculum by 2013.

Scottish Government

In 2011-12 and beyond, local authorities, Health Boards and all carer support organisations are to identify carers and youngcarers in the hard-to-reach groups, including BME carers.

Councils

Health Boards

Carer Support Organisations

In 2010-11, the Scottish Government will work with the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland on its plans to provide guidance to GP practices in Scotland on carer and young carer identification and support.

Scottish Government

- with RCGPS and NCOs

On an ongoing basis, in order to fully engage carers and deliver improved outcomes for carers, the Scottish Government will continue to promote and monitor the use of carer outcome evaluations through Talking Points.

Scottish Government

On an ongoing basis, in order to improve the knowledge and skills of the social care and health workforce in undertaking carers' assessments, the Scottish Government, in partnership with local authorities, will continue to encourage and promote the further training and development of staff. (Also refer to chapter 14 on training).

Scottish Government

- with local authorities

In order to improve the carrying out of carers' assessments with the aim of delivering improved carer support, the Scottish Government will, by 2012, commission the production of practical guidance on the undertaking of carers' assessments. This will include guidance on how to conduct culturally competent assessments. This will be done in partnership with COSLA and NHS Scotland and will be informed by stakeholders and carers.

Scottish Government

- with COSLA and NHS Scotland and other partners

On an ongoing basis, local authorities will monitor the impact and outcomes of carers' assessments. If any resources, supports and services are not available to meet need, local authorities will use the carer assessment process (and other initiatives) to record what is currently unavailable. This will assist strategic planning with respect to carers' support.

Local authorities

In 2010, the Scottish Government will continue to work with NHS inform on the development of its Carer Information Zone. Once fully developed, NHS inform will continually review the online service to ensure that it remains up-to-date, accurate and relevant to carers' and young carers' needs.

NHS inform

Scottish Government

By December 2011 the Scottish Government will gather and review the available evidence and scope the potential for a Scotland-wide carers' helpline and the options for providing it, including extending the service for carers offered by Care Information Scotland.

Scottish Government

In 2011-12, the Scottish Government will continue to provide and raise awareness amongst both professionals professionals and the general public (including carers) of Breathing Space. The Steps for Stress booklet will be available on request

Scottish Government

The Scottish Government with partners, including Health Scotland and the NCOs, will produce a bespoke resource on issues relating to stress and caring, including building on Carers Scotland publication, Finding the Balance: Promoting Good Health - A Carers' Resource Guide to Health and Well-Being and linking in to the NHSinform Carers Information Zone and to Steps for Stress. The resource will be widely disseminated.

Scottish Government

- with Health Scotland and the NCOs

In 2010-11, the Scottish Government will encourage NHS Boards, Community Health Partnerships and local authorities to introduce programmes of training for carers on person-centred moving and handling and on the safe use of equipment. This should be linked to an assessment at the point of hospital discharge planning.

Scottish Government

NHS Boards

CHPs

Councils

From 2010 onwards, the Scottish Government will promote to carers the benefits of the seasonal flu vaccine to help protect themselves and the people they care for.

Scottish Government

In 2010-11, the Scottish Government will work with NHS Board Chief Executives to ensure the inclusion of eligible carers (ie those aged 40-64) in the list of those to be considered in the mainstreaming of Keep Well and Well North.

Scottish Government

The Scottish Government, in allocating £1 million to the national carer organisations in 2010-11 for short breaks provision, will monitor progress towards the provision of innovative, personalised, flexible provision which meets the needs of carers.

Scottish Government

- with NCOs

In 2010-11 the Scottish Government will work with Shared Care Scotland and others to disseminate the findings of the short breaks research and to consider the development of further actions in light of the findings. In particular, the research findings will be used to support partners to improve the local strategic planning and commissioning of short break provision.

Scottish Government

Shared Care Scotland

For the duration of this strategy, the Scottish Government will undertake to strengthen the NHS role as a strategic partner in supporting the provision of respite care. The Scottish Government will facilitate a high level meeting with NHS Boards to consider current practice, with a view to identifying factors which would help promote/support joint working in this area.

Scottish Government

NHS Boards

Shared Care Scotland

For the duration of this strategy, the Scottish Government with Shared Care Scotland and other

Scottish Government

From 2011, the Scottish Government will work with a range of organisations to explore the potential to develop short breaks provision through volunteers.

Scottish Government

- with partners

For the duration of this strategy, the Scottish Government will work with a range of partners to explore the potential to develop emergency respite and to support carers with emergency planning.

Scottish Government

- with partners

The Scottish Government will continue to publish official statistics on respite provision and will work to improve the quality and consistency of this information, in order to achieve National Statistics status for this data source and publication.

Scottish Government

Shared Care Scotland

- with partners

By July 2012, the Scottish Government will reassess the timescale for delivery of the Manifesto commitment to a guaranteed annual entitlement to breaks from caring for those in greatest need, taking account of progress in the delivery of short breaks through the other Action Points in this chapter.

The National Carers Organisations will use the £281,000 grant from the Scottish Government to allocate grants to a range of organisations for carer and workforce training in a transparent and outcome-focused way. The NCOs will ensure dovetailing with the NHS Board Carer Information Strategies.

NCOs

NHS Boards

NHS Boards will build on the carer training provided under the Carer Information Strategies and continue to train carers beyond 2011. Subject to the outcome of the Spending Review, the Scottish Government will work with NHS Boards so that they will make a training offer to carers.

NHS Boards

In 2010-12, NHS Education for Scotland ( NES), in collaboration with NHS Boards and the national carer organisations, will review existing training, education and learning modules for working with carers and young carers; identify core competencies for NHS staff in identifying and supporting carers and young carers; and identify packages and materials to be incorporated within core induction, education and training curricula.

NHS Education for Scotland

- with NHS Boards, NCOs, and councils

NES will communicate to the relevant regulatory, professional and national bodies the importance of identifying and supporting carers and young carers in workforce training and education.

NES

From 2010 onwards, the Scottish Government will work with NHS Boards to ensure that identifying and supporting carers and young carers is embedded in workforce training.

Scottish Government

- with NHS Boards

In 2009-10, the Scottish Government will continue to promote the benefits of workforce training through the Scottish Social Services Council ( SSSC), the national carer organisations and others.

Scottish Government

In 2011-12, NES and the NCOs will produce a good practice guide to workforce training. This will be widely distributed.

NES

NCOs

For the duration of this strategy, the Scottish Government and COSLA will work with local authorities, housing associations, the independent rented sector, Health Boards and other partners to ensure that the needs and views of carers are taken into account in developing more effective links between housing, social care and health policies and services.

Scottish Government

COSLA

- with partners

Carers' views will be taken into account during public engagement events in 2010 on the Reshaping Care for Older People programme. These views will help shape the development of that programme.

Scottish Government

In 2010-11 the Scottish Government, with local authority and other partners, will raise awareness of telecare amongst carers nationally and locally and will ensure that carers have better access to appropriate information on services.

Scottish Government

- with councils and other partners

The Scottish Government, with Carers Scotland, will ensure that carers' training is included as part of a national approach to telecare education and training, with a specific workstream developed to address this over 2010-12.

Scottish Government

- with Carers Scotland

In 2010-12, the Scottish Government will ensure that telecare is included in the practical guide to undertaking carers' assessments and will promote its further integration within Single Assessment and Care Management/Review protocols and processes.

Scottish Government

By 2015, the Scottish Government will have further maximised the impact of its telecare investment to ensure that the benefits and applications of the new technology for carers continues and develops.

Scottish Government

In 2010-2015 the Scottish Government will further explore the innovative use of new technologies in support of carers living in remote and rural areas, and will identify mechanisms which may bemore accessible to young carers.

Scottish Government

In 2010-15, the Scottish Government, with local authorities, Health Boards and other partners, will raise awareness of equipment and adaptations amongst carers and ensure that carers have better access to appropriate information and training on equipment.

Scottish Government

Councils

Health Boards

The Scottish Government and COSLA acknowledge the value and benefit of carer advocacy. From 2011 onwards, we will encourage local authorities, NHS Boards and other local partners to develop or expand carer advocacy services for those in greatest need. We will also examine in 2011-12 the scope for producing guidelines on carer advocacy.

Scottish Government

- with councils, NHS Boards and other partners.

In 2010 and beyond, the Scottish Government will:

- encourage public bodies, ⁴² through identifying good practice, to promote carer friendly employment practices;

- identify ways in which the Scottish Government can work with employers and others to promote carer friendly employment practices. The Scottish Government's Employability Learning Network ( ELN) will help with this, including consultation with employability stakeholders.

Scottish Government

- with Carers Scotland

By September 2011, Skills Development Scotland will increase awareness of its services and resources with carers' centres in Scotland, facilitated by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers ( PRTC).

Skills Development Scotland

- with PRTC

By December 2011, Skills Development Scotland will explore the opportunities afforded to carers by its partnership with JobCentre Plus, to develop an Integrated Employment and Skills service.

SDS

- with JobCentre Plus

By March 2012, Skills Development Scotland, the national carer organisations and the network of carers centres will work together to begin to:

- identify the learning, career aspirations and employability requirements of carers;

- identify ways in which SDS services can be more effectively targeted to help carers into training and employment.

SDS

- with NCOs and carers centres

The Scottish Government will pursue the new UK Government, as it did with the previous administration, the level of the Carer's Allowance and a review of financial support to carers.

Scottish Government

The Scottish Government will work with local authorities and the NHS to enhance the role of Single Shared Assessments and Carers Assessments as opportunities to promote financial inclusion for carers.

Scottish Government

-with councils and NHS

COSLA will create a benchmarking network to facilitate consistent approaches to charging for non-residential social care services across local authorities. Work will be undertaken annually to assess levels of consistency across Scotland. As part of this process COSLA will engage with national carers organisations to listen and respond to any concerns.

COSLA

- with councils and NCOs