A group of like-minded car enthusiasts are supporting the launch of VOCAL’s Carers Are Stars! campaign with the unveiling of their special modified car.
The members of Lothian Modified unveiled the ‘dressed’ cars at VOCAL’s carers’ hub in Dalkeith to launch a campaign and appeal in support of the vital role played by unpaid carers across Edinburgh and Midlothian communities.
“As a family-friendly group we include carers and people living with disabilities and conditions who need extra support. So we wanted to help carers in whatever way we can” said Linda Lawton, group moderator/administrator and instigator of Lothian Modified’s support for VOCAL. “We want to make sure that our community recognises the role of unpaid carers and let them know that they are stars.
“As a carer for a child with additional needs and as a person with a disability, I know the work that goes into being a carer. VOCAL has been so helpful to me and my family and it is so important that others know they are not alone” added Linda.
“VOCAL has continued to support carers across Edinburgh and Midlothian through the COVID pandemic when many more people have taken on caring roles and caring duties have increased in hours as well as intensity.
“This Christmas, we want to let the carers in our community know that they are stars. They bring light and hope to cared-for people and deserve all the support that VOCAL can provide” said Julie Forster of VOCAL.
VOCAL’s Carer are Stars! appeal asks supporters to make a donation and put another star on the VOCAL’s Christmas tree.
Julie added: “We have been doing so much virtually this year that we wanted to make our tree real. We will be genuinely hanging one of our special stars on our tree when you make a donation.”
Carers Trust Scotland and College Development Network (CDN) have joined forces to help improve support to over 12,000 student carers in Scotland, who are studying alongside providing unpaid care for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.
Supporting Student Carers at College is a new innovative free digital training module which has been developed by Carers Trust Scotland and CDN from funding received by The Scottish Funding Council. The module will help college practitioners to better understand the challenges faced by many student carers and provides guidance on how to improve support for these students at college.
Research by Carers Trust found that student carers are four times more likely to drop out of college and university than those who are not carers. Together, Carers Trust Scotland and CDN are calling on all college practitioners working in Scotland’s colleges to use this free resource. Engaging with the digital training module will help college staff to better identify, support and report on their student carers.
This new resource compliments existing work being undertaken by both organisations to raise awareness, improve identification and ensure adequate support is in place to give student carers a fair chance to be successful in their own education. Last year Carers Trust Scotland launched Going Further for Student Carers Recognition Award, a scheme to assist and encourage all 27 of Scotland’s colleges to develop their policies and practices to improve support for student carers, and award good practice.
While the number of student carer enrolments at college across Scotland has increased from 3,413 in 2013-14 to 11,965 in 2018-19, many student carers continue to be unidentified and unsupported, and continue to be a hidden group.
There are student carers in every college trying to successfully complete their course to the best of their ability just like their peers, but they often experience additional challenges because of their unpaid caring responsibilities and do not always receive the support they need to successfully complete college; therefore, stopping students with caring responsibilities from reaching their full potential, maintaining good health and wellbeing, and having equal access to the opportunities open to other students.
Additionally, due to the impact of the current Coronavirus pandemic, we know that many student carers are taking on additional caring responsibilities, therefore increasing the need for support at college.
Student carers can greatly benefit from dedicated support from their college and the Supporting Student Carers at College digital training module should help improve outcomes for student carers to reach positive destinations after study.
Scott Lafferty, Development Manager for Carers Trust Scotland, said: “Carers Trust Scotland is delighted to have worked with College Development Network to launch Supporting Student Carers at College, a digital training module for college professionals.
“It aims to raise awareness to the challenges that many student carers face and offers guidance on how colleges in Scotland can provide improved support to the over 12,000 student carers in Scotland, so that they have a fair chance to be successful in their own education and achieve their true potential in all aspects of their lives.”
Andree Carruthers, Access and Inclusion Consultant for CDN, said: “The Supporting Carers module is the first of its kind in the UK. We know that there are over 12,000 declared student carers studying in our colleges, and that they are four times more likely to withdraw from their course.
“College offers carers a break from caring and new opportunities for the future, and we owe it to them to support them to make the most of their time at college. This new resource, developed in partnership with Carers Trust Scotland, offers colleges a flexible and engaging professional development tool.
“The module is brought to life by the voices of the carers that courageously and selflessly shared their experiences and the challenges of combining their caring duties and studying.”
Young carers provide unpaid care for a family member or a friend, who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.
The Festival provided the opportunity for young carers to meet other young people in similar situations, share new experiences and of course, have fun! The event also provided a national celebration for young carers to share their experiences, the impact that caring has on them and to suggest changes that could make their lives better.
Carers Trust Scotland and the Scottish Government have been working with young carers and their services to plan a new kind of Festival this year!
Scottish Government funding is providing over £100,000 for Carers Trust Scotland to administer a small-grant scheme to eligible young carer services. These services will be able to apply for funding to provide fun and respite to the young carers they support. The outcomes of this scheme are broad to ensure that services can take a local, tailor-made approach in supporting their young people and provide meaningful respite in a safe way.
Furthermore, Carers Trust Scotland will bring Festival fun to young people through our first ever virtual Festival, “Best of the Fest!” On Wednesday 5 August to Friday 7 August, there will be the opportunity for young carers to take part in dozens of activities and events including; mindfullness, yoga, magic shows, paint a-longs and live music!
Resources will also be shared on our website for young people to access at any time after the virtual Festival has taken place.
Our traditional marketplace at the Festival, which invites organisations to promote their services and resources to young carers and their services, will also be found online this year! Organisations such as Young Scot and the Scottish Youth Parliament will host live workshops for young carers and youth workers to find out more about the opportunities available.
This year’s alternative Scottish Young Carers Festival takes place during a challenging time for many young carers. A new Carers Trust Scotland survey shows the pandemic’s dramatic impact on the wider wellbeing of young carers in Scotland.
Meaningful respite for these young people is more important than ever, with 42% of young adult carers in Scotland stating they are unable to take a break from caring as a result of Coronavirus.
Furthermore, 69% of young carers and 76% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey felt less able to stay in touch with friends since coronavirus.74% of young carers and 73% of young adult carers in Scotland also said they are feeling less connected to others since coronavirus.
The results point to a steep decline in the mental health and wellbeing of young people across Scotland who provide unpaid care for family members or friends.
These results highlight the need for continued support to young carers and the opportunity for meaningful respite and engagement opportunities throughout the year. Despite the cancellation of our Scottish Young Carers Festival, our small-grant scheme and online activities aim to provide fun and respite to these young people in alternative, safe ways.
Minister for Public Health, Joe FitzPatrick said: “Young carers make a vitally important contribution to our society. Often though, because of their responsibilities, they haven’t got the same amount of free time and opportunities as their peers.
“Although the Festival cannot take place this year, I hope young carers across the country will be able to benefit from the Scottish Government funded small grant scheme which will enable local services to provide them with some much deserved respite and extra support.”
Paul Traynor, Policy and External Affairs Manager of Carers Trust Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be working with Scottish Government to deliver these new kind of Festival activities for young carers across Scotland for 2020.
“The pandemic has been difficult for a lot of young carers and many have reported taking on additional caring responsibilities, feeling isolated, and feeling disconnected to their friends and wider communities.
“Although some young carers may be disappointed that the annual Scottish Young Carers Festival event has been cancelled, the small-grant scheme provides new opportunities for local young carer services to plan and deliver activities to ensure young carers still have an opportunity to get a break from caring and have fun.
“We also hope that our ‘Best of the Fest’ virtual events will provide that Festival feeling that gives young carers the opportunity to be children and young people first.”
New Carers Trust Scotland survey shows pandemic’s dramatic impact on wider wellbeing of young carers in Scotland:
45% of young carers and 68% of young adult carers in Scotland say their mental health is worse as a result of Coronavirus.
71% of young carers and 85% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey were more worried about the future since coronavirus.
51% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey are spending more money due to coronavirus.
58% of young carers in Scotland who responded to the survey say their education is suffering as a result of Coronavirus.
42% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey say they are unable to take a break from caring as a result of Coronavirus.
“[Coronavirus] has made me more anxious, lost, unconnected, unsure and very sad that we can’t hug our dad, nanna, aunts/uncles, cousins and friends. Future so uncertain.” – 15-year-old female carer in Scotland
The results of a new Carers Trust Scotland survey, published yesterday, point to a steep decline in the mental health and wellbeing of young people across Scotland who provide unpaid care at home for family members or friends.
The survey is the first of its kind to provide a base of evidence for how worries relating to Coronavirus and increased isolation caused by the lockdown has affected the mental health and wellbeing of Scotland’s young people with caring responsibilities.
It is part of a larger Carers Trust survey of young carers from across the UK. Young carers aged 12 to 17 and young adult carers aged 18 to 25 responded to the survey.
Coronavirus increases caring hours and pressures on young carers
Even before the outbreak of Coronavirus, young carers and young adult carers were all too often spending significant amounts of time caring for a relative in addition to the time they needed to spend on education, work and time for themselves.
Coronavirus has significantly increased those pressures. The survey found that 10.6% of young carers in Scotland who responded to the survey said that they had seen the number of hours they spend caring per week increase by 30 hours.
A similar proportion of young adult carers reported the same increase in caring hours per week.
Most disturbing of all, 6.4% of young carers and 10.59% of young adult carers who responded to the survey, said that they are now spending over 90 hours a week caring for a family member or friend.
When asked what difference Coronavirus had made to them, 58% of young carers in Scotland said their education was suffering and 45% said their mental health had worsened. Asked the same question, 68% of young adult carers said their mental health had become worse and 42% said they had been unable to take a break from caring.
Responding to findings published today, Director of Scotland and Northern Ireland at Carers Trust, Louise Morgan, said:“This is the first snapshot of how Coronavirus is affecting thousands of young people with caring responsibilities across Scotland.
“And the results are extremely concerning. It’s clear that the pandemic has made what was already a very worrying picture for young carers in Scotland far, far worse. That’s why we are calling for more support and more services to ensure that young people with caring responsibilities get the support they need.”
Other key findings from the survey:
69% of young carers and 76% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey felt less able to stay in touch with friends since coronavirus.
74% of young carers and 73% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey said they are feeling less connected to others since coronavirus.
69% of young carers and 76% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey said they are feeling more stressedsince coronavirus.
59% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey are struggling to look after themselves.
56% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey are feeling overwhelmed by the pressures they are facing now.
See below a series of quotes from young carers and young adult carers in Scotland on how they have been affected by Coronavirus:
The voices of young carers in Scotland
All the responses below were given in response to the following question in the Carers Trust survey: “What difference has coronavirus made to your life as a young carer or young adult carer?”
“It’s made it harder. I don’t get any respite, no time away or family support.” 12-year-old female carer in Scotland
“Coronavirus has made it harder to get a break from my caring role and has made me feel more unsafe at home” 14 year-old-female carer in Scotland
“Has made me more anxious, lost, unconnected, unsure and very sad that we can’t hug our dad, nanna, aunts/uncles, cousins and friends. Future so uncertain.” 15-year-old female carer in Scotland
“I’m stressed with having to care and take care of myself as well as struggling to sleep” 17-year-old male carer in Scotland
“I feel as if it has made it more difficult to care for my father as I have been unable to take care of myself properly” 18-year-old male carer in Scotland
“The difference now is that I can’t get out of the house for a day and we can’t afford to do or get anything. We are just getting by with only making 80% of our wages. It’s a lot harder to keep on top of the rent and we spend more money on alcohol and cigarettes which makes it harder to afford electricity and some foods.
It’s harder to eat fresh and healthy because we can’t afford it at the moment. I have gained a lot of weight since lockdown and it really affects my mental health. Everyone in my household including myself are sick of constantly seeing each other and cabin fever is really bad as well.” – 19-year-old female carer in Scotland
“I have no help or support whatsoever now – I’m caring 24/7 and I’m exhausted and mentally drained. My young carers service is closing before lockdown ends so I now won’t have any support and I don’t know how I’m going to cope” 22-year-old female carer in Scotland
“It has made my caring role more pronounced/taken away other outlets of my life such as study. It has made me feel more isolated from my friends who don’t have caring responsibilities.” 24-year-old female carer in Scotland
Mental health staff, carer services and carers from across Scotland will today attend a launch event for Trust Scotland’s Triangle of Care 3rd Edition guide and Triangle of Care for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services toolkit.Continue reading Carers Trust Scotland launches new resources
