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The impact of COVID-19 on unpaid carers and carer service support workers

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 14th July 2021
Report

Carers Trust Scotland have published a new report on the experience of unpaid carers and carer support workers during COVID-19.

Between November 2020 – May 2021, Carers Trust Scotland conducted research to understand the experiences of unpaid carers and carer support workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. 478 unpaid carers and 221 carers support workers contributed via surveys, focus groups and one-to-one interviews.

The findings show that 90% of unpaid carers stated they were spending more time caring and 82% had no respite since the beginning of the pandemic. 76% of carer support workers found their workload increased, with many facing new emotional demands such as lack of confidence at work.

The report makes six key recommendations:

  1. Scotland’s National Carer Organisations (NCOs) and the Scottish Government should work collaboratively – with carer services – to create a national remobilisation plan
  2. Carer services need to reaffirm their organisational purpose
  3. Carer services and commissioning bodies should have a mutual conversation to ensure expectations and asks are realistic
  4. Local authorities should be transparent on the Carers (Scotland) Act funding received and how it is allocated to deliver on priorities for unpaid carers
  5. Steps should be taken to further support staff at work, including positive health and wellbeing practises being embedded into support and supervision processes, the provision of workforce development opportunities, and agile working policies and procedures
  6. The contribution of unpaid carers and carer services to the care of those in the community should be recognised by local and national governments, statutory services, funders and NCOs.

You can read the full report via the Carers Trust website (this link will take you away from our website).

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