Thank you for the opportunity to say a few words about the Carers (Scotland) Bill and why I believe it is important.
Both adult and young carers are integral to our society. They provide vital care and support to their families, friends and neighbours. I thank the committee for its scrutiny of the bill; it was very positive to hear about the committee’s productive session with young carers, and I know that there have been other evidence sessions as well. I thank the committee for the work that it has undertaken so far.
We have seen much progress in supporting carers. I hear directly from carers about how their lives have changed for the better and the personal outcomes that they have achieved as a result of the support that they receive. The Scottish Government has invested over £114 million between 2007 and 2015 on a range of programmes and initiatives to support carers, and it is investing further in this financial year. However, some carers are not being supported and that can have a adverse impact on their physical, emotional and financial wellbeing. That is a concern for us all. Another concern is that carers can experience very challenging circumstances, including economic and social disadvantage. Sometimes young carers do not have the best childhood.
A crucial role for the bill is to complement important policies and drivers such as the integration of health and social care and the roll-out of self-directed support. Integration of health and social care with the progressive roll-out of integrated joint boards is vital in providing seamless services and empowering local communities to take charge of their own health and wellbeing in innovative ways.
There is a key role for new legislation to accelerate and sustain the progress that has already been made to bring about a step change in the way that services support carers and to inspire renewed ambition about supporting carers. This is within a wider context, which is really important. As we all know, Scotland has a growing population of older people who are successfully living longer, but often doing so with a range of complex and multiple physical and mental healthcare needs. There are more children with complex health needs or disabilities.
We need to support Scotland’s carers so that they in turn can support the many people with illnesses and disabilities or who are frail, many with dementia. Of those carers, 47 per cent live in the most deprived areas, caring for 35 hours a week or more. It is striking that that is almost double the level found in the least deprived areas. We need to support carers who experience considerable disadvantage, especially if the impact of caring is taking its toll. Therefore, our wider work to tackle health inequalities within the even wider context of tackling economic disadvantage is crucial.
The Carers (Scotland) Bill is a fundamental part of delivering the wider strategy to tackle inequalities and the work that we are doing to deliver the Scottish Government’s vision for carers. Our vision is that carers, whatever their circumstances, should enjoy the same opportunities in life as people without caring responsibilities. It is my intention that Scotland’s carers should be better supported on a more consistent basis, so that they can continue to care, if they so wish, in good health and to have a life alongside caring.
The objective of the bill is to make real that ambition by furthering the rights of both adult and young carers. The bill is designed to deliver on fundamentals such as carer involvement and participation, comprehensive yet person-centred support planning, preventive and community-based approaches to supporting carers, a strategic overview, and development through the local carer strategies. I believe that the bill strikes the right balance between making the necessary requirements on local authorities and health boards to deliver support for carers and providing the flexibility to ensure a personalised approach to support.
In reviewing the evidence from a wide range of interests, it is clear that there is broad support for the bill’s principles. We have listened carefully to carers and carer organisations in developing the bill’s provisions, and I hope that carers will be able to recognise their voices in the bill as it stands. As I said in Rhoda Grant’s members’ business debate on carers in the Parliament on 10 June, I welcome any suggestions that seek to improve the bill and the lives of carers and young carers across Scotland.
We are engaging with important stakeholder interests to consider their views further, and we will give full consideration to all good suggestions as we take the legislation forward. I hope that we have been able to demonstrate that willingness with the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill, which will be debated at stage 3 tomorrow. It is my intention to proceed on that basis with this bill, too.
I look forward to the committee’s continued consideration of the Carers (Scotland) Bill and the contribution that scrutiny and consideration can make to the bill’s improvement. I also look forward to the discussion that we are about to have, and to any questions that members may have.