Festival For Young Carers

A national festival for young carers across Scotland will now take place after a £400,000 funding package was announced. Minister for Public Health Shona Robison said £200,000 would establish the festival to give young carers a break from their responsiblities and an opportunity to come together and air their views and concerns.

A further £200,000 will also help deliver training to give carers the knowledge and skills they need to cope more effectively. Minister for Public Health Shona Robison said:

“This announcement today represents the Scottish government’s first step to ensure that Scotland’s 600,000 unpaid carers receive the recognition they so deserve. This festival will provide young carers with the opportunity to meet with decision-makers, including MSPs, to have their say on the issues that affect them.

“Carer training is also crucial in supporting carers with their caring responsibilities. We acknowledge that more needs to be done to support carers to enable them to continue caring, whilst protecting their own physical, emotional and mental health. I am confident that the funding for crucial training will help us address these issues. I look forward to working with carers and the carer organisation as we drive both of these initiatives forward.”

Director of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers Elaine McConigle said: “We are delighted to learn that the new Minister for Health and Community Care has acted so quickly to push forward support for young carers. We look forward to working with the Executive and our partner carers organisations in Scotland to ensure that the commitments to carers of the Care 21 policy document are fulfilled.”

A Young Carer Forum was a recommendation of the Care 21 report The future of unpaid care in Scotland (2005). A Young Carer Task Group of experts in the field has subsequently recommended the festival model. Spread over two days, the festival will allow up to 500 young carers from across Scotland to come together in one place.

Expansion of carer training was also a recommendation of The future of unpaid care in Scotland. There is strong research evidence that training helps carers, particularly new carers, cope more effectively with their caring role. Helping them protect their health, while caring more effectively.

The type of carer training and its delivery is to be agreed with the national carer organisations. Some of these organisations are already piloting carer training and the additional funding will be used to extend those pilots.