The Act provides new rights to carers in a number of areas. These include:
- a duty for local authorities to provide support to carers, based on the carer’s identified needs which meet the local eligibility criteria
- a right to an adult carer support plan and young carer statement to identify your needs and personal outcomes. (This is available to carers of all ages, no matter how many hours of care they provide and whether or not the person they care for provides care)
- a requirement for local authorities to have an information and advice service for carers which provides information and advice on, amongst other things, emergency and future care planning, advocacy, income maximisation and carers’ rights
- a duty on the NHS to inform and involve you if the person you care for is discharged from hospital.
Download the Carers' Charter, which tells you all about the rights of carers under the Act.
What to expect – The Carers (Scotland) Act
Our partner national carer organisation, the Coalition of Carers in Scotland have worked with a variety of carers, carer organisations and health and social care staff to co-design a set of leaflets for carers that set out what the new rights are and what to expect.
You can read each of the six leaflets below:
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