Day: June 10, 2026

VOCAL highlights the growing cost of unpaid caring across Edinburgh and the Lothians

This Carers Week, local charity VOCAL (Voice of Carers Across Lothian) is calling for greater recognition of, and practical support for, unpaid carers, as new evidence shows caring is pushing too many people into poverty.

Unpaid carers are often managing higher household costs, cutting back on paid work, and spending more on fuel, transport, food and equipment. For many, the cost of living crisis comes on top of the cost of caring, creating intense pressure on family finances and wellbeing. VOCAL says demand for financial wellbeing support continues to rise locally.

VOCAL brought carers, staff and partner organisations together at its Cost of Unpaid Caring event to explore the causes of carer poverty and the changes needed locally and nationally.

Their report, launched on 8 June, highlights several key drivers of hardship, including the extra costs of disability and care, loss of income for working carers, difficulty accessing adequate social security, social care charges, legal costs such as Power of Attorney, and growing food insecurity.

Rosie McLoughlin, VOCAL CEO, said: “The value of unpaid care in Edinburgh alone is estimated at over 1 billion pounds but many carers provide this care at real personal and financial cost.

“This latest report shows that carer poverty is being driven by a combination of rising living costs, lost income, inadequate support and systems that are too hard to navigate. During Carers Week, we are calling for change so that taking on a caring role does not mean being pushed into poverty.”

VOCAL is calling for practical action at every level:

  • A national hardship fund to support carers with the unexpected costs of caring
  • Increased social security support for carers nationally
  • Power of Attorney costs to be covered for carers
  • An end to unfair social care charging
  • More in-depth research on the Minimum Income Standard to understand the costs of caring and rollout of the Minimum Income Guarantee
  • Encouraging all employers to improve their carer policies, advocate for better social care services, and offer paid carer’s leave
  • Carers Act Funding to be allocated to crisis-prevention
The-cost-of-unpaid-caring-final-reportDownload

‘Bell to bell’ ban on mobile phones in Edinburgh schools

Edinburgh will become one of the first local authorities in the country to introduce widespread restrictions on mobile phone use in schools at the start of the new school year in August.

Councillors at Education, Children and Families Committee agreed a ‘bell to bell’ ban of mobile phones, with lockable pouches to be introduced in every secondary school in the city. Learners at secondary schools will have to place mobile phones in lockable pouches for the duration of the school day. Primary school aged pupils will have to lock mobile phones away in cabinets.

It was also agreed that secondary school senior leadership teams will have the opportunity to develop their own guidance regarding senior phase (S5-S6) pupils’ access to their mobile phones during break, lunchtime and independent study time.

Mobile phone restrictions are already in place at two Edinburgh secondary schools, Portobello and Queensferry High Schools, where trials of lockable pouches have been underway since last year. Anecdotal feedback from staff and young people at both schools is positive.

A six-week citywide consultation on mobile phone restrictions earlier this year received almost 14,000 responses from parents/carers, pupils and school staff. Results were overwhelming in support of a ban, with 97% of secondary school staff and 94% of parents/carers favouring a ban, and 53% of young people supporting restrictions during teaching time.

Alongside the consultation, separate and targeted engagement has taken place with groups of secondary school pupils, head teachers, unions, members of the Scottish Youth Parliament and Edinburgh Youth Action.

A £400,000 one-off budget for purchase of lockable pouches and storage cabinets was agreed at the Council’s annual budget setting meeting in February this year. A strategy for the current and future procurement of pouches will also be developed.

In bringing in mobile phone restrictions, special consideration will be given for pupils with health needs or caring responsibilities who may need access to their mobile phone during the school day. The council will develop guidance for schools, including how exemptions will work in practice.

Councillor James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convenor said: “This is a monumental step for Edinburgh’s children and young people and I am proud that we are one of the first local authorities in the country to introduce widespread restrictions on mobile phones in schools.

“I’ve been clear from the start that we wanted to be bold in our ambition to make our schools phone free environments that enable our teachers to teach and pupils to learn without the distraction of devices in the classroom.

“The uniform introduction of lockable pouches in all our secondary schools will level the playing field for all learners in Edinburgh, streamlining a phone free schools policy and guaranteeing that every single young person can get the most out of their time in the classroom.

“We know from the two pilots already underway that keeping phones out of the classroom is positive and alongside our consultation showing broad support from teachers, school staff and parents/carers, I am confident that these restrictions will be warmly welcomed and hugely impactful.”