Introduction
This compendium of good practice and carers and young carers stories accompanies Caring Together and Getting it Right for Young Carers. It is available online only.
Earlier this year the Scottish Government invited local authorities, Health Boards, the Third Sector and other organisations to submit examples of good practice about support for carers and young carers. We also invited personal 'stories' from carers and young carers. We received so many good practice examples and 'stories' that we could not include them all within the strategy, although we have referred in the strategy to good practice and have included short quotes from carers and young carers. The Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities ( COSLA) have therefore produced this compendium.
We are very grateful for all good practice submitted which shows the wide range of support being provided across Scotland. All information was accurate at the time it was received, which was a few months ago. We have edited some of the examples (primarily to shorten them) but we have not radically altered the information submitted to us. Contact details, where available, for the good practice examples are provided in Annex A. There will be other examples of good practice not sent to us.
There is an Action Point in Caring Together and in Getting it Right for Young Carers as follows:
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. They will consider how the good practice can be transferred, if appropriate, and/or will consider whether or how existing services and supports can 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.
The Scottish Government, with COSLA, will consider how best to monitor implementation of this Action Point.
We thank the carers and young carers who provided their personal 'stories' which demonstrate both the positive support they received and some of the challenges and difficulties. We have not edited the stories which were also received several months ago. They may not, therefore, reflect the current caring situation but they show the nature of the caring at the time.