Your rights as a carer
Key Provisions on The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016
The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 came into effect on 1 April 2018 and extends and enhances the rights of carers to help improve their health and wellbeing, so that they can continue to care, if they so wish, and have a life alongside caring.
The Act sets out duties and requirements, summarised below:
- a Carers’ Charter, setting out the rights of carers in or under the Act
- a duty to prepare an adult carer support plan or young carer statement
- a duty to set local eligibility criteria for carer support and a duty to provide support to carers that meet local eligibility criteria
- a duty to consider options of breaks from caring when undertaking support planning and a duty to produce a short breaks services statement
- a requirement to involve carers in carer’s services, and to involve carers in hospital discharge planning
- a duty to consult and publish a local carers strategy
- a duty to establish and maintain advice and information services for carers, including emergency planning and future care planning for carers
Download a PDF summary of the key provisions of the legislation. Please note that this summary document contains links to all Glasgow information, guides and statements required to be published.
All unpaid carers looking after someone resident in Glasgow are eligible for carer support with a universal offer of information and advice for all as a minimum. To find out more about how Glasgow City Carers Partnership can support people who have a caring role, please call the Carers Information Line - 0141 353 6504 (office hours) or find your local services.