23rd February - Final figures for additonal respite weeks 2008-09 published
Following a verification exercise by the Scottish Government, revised figures have now been published for the number of additional respite weeks provided between 2008 and 2009. As expected these latest figures reveal that there has been much less progress than previously reported with an additional 1,150 weeks achieved compared to the previous figure of 19,000 weeks.
The detailed breakdown by local authority, age band and type of provision (over night or day time services) also reveals a mixed picture across the country. 19 Councils have reported an increase in respite services in 2008/9 compared to 2007/8 figures and 12 Councils a decrease. (1 Council reports no change).
Services to disabled children and young people have been hardest hit with an overall loss of 1,120 weeks or 4.7% compared to the previous year.
In a speech to the King’s Fund, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg set out the party’s respite care guarantee, providing a week’s break from caring every year to the 1m unpaid carers who provide more than 50 hours care each week.
"It is a simple promise: if you care for more than 50 hours a week, you will have the right to a full week of respite.
Giving you the time you so desperately need to rest, recuperate, or simply have a holiday.
This commitment to carers would finally acknowledge the debt all of society owes to carers. And it would make a difference, a real difference, to a million families straight away. "
15th December - Progress towards additional 10,000 weeks of respite care
Provisional figures have been published today indicating Scotland's councils have achieved an extra 19,000 respite weeks in total - rising from 174,000 to 193,000 - while there has been a slight fall in the number of overnight respite weeks from 64,000 to 63,000.
Public Health Minister Shona Robison said:
"Councils are performing very well in providing more vital respite weeks to carers up and down the country. Respite makes an enormous difference to carers and their loved ones, which is why I'm pleased we're making progress.
"We do know there's more to be done. This is only provisional data at this stage. While it's very encouraging, it's highlighted that councils are counting their weeks in different ways and some are now reporting more thoroughly - making year-on-year comparisons more difficult.
"But this should not detract from the hard work by councils and the progress they're making. I'm grateful to Scotland's local authorities for their hard work towards delivering more respite weeks and - more importantly - I'm confident this extra respite is making a valuable difference to families throughout Scotland."
1st October - The National Dialogue on Dementia
The Scottish Government is seeking views on the development of a Dementia Strategy for Scotland, due for publication in April 2010. The consultation seeks to encourage and support the widest possible engagement by organisations, groups and individuals with an interest in this area.
The deadline for submissions is Monday 16 November 2009.
For further information go to:
8th June - Carer's Week: The Breakthrough Manifesto is launched by Shared Care Scotland with an open letter to Shona Robison, the Minister for Public Health.
Shared Care Scotland also launches its Online Short Break Planning Pack. This pack has been developed to help service users and carers to be more in control of all aspects of their short break/respite care by increasing their knowledge about what’s available or possible.
24th March - Why carers still don't get a break. Herald newspaper article on the lack of respite support available to people experiencing or recovering from mental health probelms.
18 March - A 'Good Ideas' booklet to help carers in their work with older people has been developed by the RBS Centre for the Older Person's Agenda (COPA), in association with NHS Health Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council's Department of Health and Social Care.
The booklet offers a host of useful practical suggestions and has been developed to help day carers and respite carers who work with older people in their own homes.
13 March - Shared Care Scotland Analysis of Respite Data 2007-08: Friday 13th will be an unlucky day for some as Shared Care Scotland publishes its latest analysis of Audit Scotland's performance information relating to local authority provi
ded or arranged respite care. The figures once again reveal a wide disparity in the level of overnight and day based short break (respite care) services available. The most unlucky group appear to be carers looking for services providing overnight breaks.
Also published today is 'Give us A Break - Turning Commitments into Action'. This information leaflet has been co-produced with the Coalition of Carers in Scotland and provides an update on recent policy developments relating to short breaks and respite care.
22 January - Getting it Right for Carers: Scotland's National Carer Organisations have launched a campaign to seek to persuade every local authority and local NHS Board to strengthen its efforts and identify what it will do to support the vital work delivered by Scotland's estimated 700,000 carers. This follows the Scottish Government /COSLA 2007 Concordat which provides councils with greater spending autonomy and higher allowances in return for agreeing to meet specific outcome targets.
19th December - Shared Care Scotland has been awarded £10,000 by the Scottish Government to develop a set of Care Break Planning and Evaluation resources. Infusion Cooperative Ltd will be working with SCS over the next 3 months to develop the toolkit ready for piloting from mid 2009 onwards.
5th December - Funding for carers across Scotland was announced today, marking Carers Rights Day. Public Health Minister Shona Robison described the over £13 million pounds package of measures as a 'down payment' to increase support.
4th December - CoSLA and Scottish Government write to local authorities setting out commitment to 10,000 additional respite weeks.
28th November - The Scottish Government publishes its revised Short Breaks Guidance. The aim of this guidance is to improve the planning of respite and short break services by local authorities and health boards - see below (17 July).
Please find below the links to revised short breaks guidance, jointly issued by the Scottish Government and CoSLA and published today on the Scottish Government's website.
This guidance is available on the Scottish Government website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/11/20094716
And as an Easy-read version at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/11/20094628
Shared Care Scotland: Short Breaks and Respite Care Services Data Analysis
To coincide with the publication of the guidance, Shared Care Scotland is publishing its own statistical compendium of local authority provided/arranged respite care provision, based on the performance data provided by Audit Scotland.
Download here: (Excel Spreadsheet):
A PDF short summary can be downloaded here:
17th July - Shona Robison, Minister for Health and Community Care confirms Government's commitment to increase short break and respite care provision by 10,000 weeks over the next 3-years. To meet this target within the 3-year timeframe the Government will be allocating a further £4million to local authorities in addition to funding already provided as part of the Government/COSLA Concordat arrangement.
The additional weeks will be achieved as follows:
2,000 extra respite weeks in 2008-09
6,000 extra respite weeks in 2009-10
10,000 weeks in 2010-11
Click here to link to Scottish Government press release.
The Government will also shortly be publishing guidance to local authorities and their Community Planning Partners to support improvements in short break provision through better strategic planning, more person-centred approaches to service design and closer involvement with carers and service users.
25th June - Shared Care Scotland sends MSP's postcard to wish them well as they begin their summer recess....but not to forget the fact 
that many thousands of Scotland's carers will go without a break.
7th June - Shared Care Scotland launches OSBIS, Scotland's first online national directory of short break and break from caring services.
Download more information here
Link to directory: www.carebreaksscotland.org
The guide contains:
12 February 2008 - Shared Care Scotland launches new DVD resource - 'Something To Look Forward To'.
‘Something To Look Forward To’ is a short film commissioned by Shared Care Scotland to provide advice and encouragement to carers and service users who are considering using short break and respite services. The film will also be of interest to those who provide or plan services. The film has been structured in such a way that it can be used for carer information sessions or training.
The DVD also contains:
To see a short extract from the film please visit:
http://www.mediaeducation.co.uk/projectzone/sharedcarescotland/
14 January 2008 - Shared Care Scotland responds to Scottish Government's consultation on Respite Care Guidance
Please see below for a summary of the points raised by Shared Care Scotland in their response letter to the Scottish Government. To view the full response:
Summary points:
October 2007 - Draft Respite Care Guidance now out for consultation
The Scottish Government has issued for consultation its draft guidance on respite care planning. The guidance has been developed by a government-led task group made up of local authorities, regulators, the NHS and voluntary organisations, including Shared Care Scotland. Its main purpose is to help local service planners improve respite provision in line with the overall principles of supporting self-care and working with carers as partners in care, by:
The consultation takes place between October and January 16th 2008.
Shared Care Scotland is planning events for carers, service users and practitioners to gather feedback on this draft guidance. For further information please see our events section. People can also make comments online via the Scottish Government's website.
DOWNLOADS
Shared Care Scotland awarded £11,760 from the Youth Opportunities Fund
This funding will go towards a young carers residential break which will take place in October. The event is being planned in partnership with the Young Carers Alliance in Scotland. During the 5-day break participants will have the opportunity to develop communication and teamworking skills. It is hoped that some of the young carers involved will put these skills to good use by helping to raise awareness of carers issues and the need for more and better support services.
For more information please contact Don Williamson at the Shared Care Scotland office or Louise Morgan at the Young Carers Alliance: lmorgan@carers.org, tel: 0141 221 5066
Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland supports Shared Care Scotland Online Short Break Information Service
Shared Care Scotland is delighted to have been awarded £24,000 from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland to contribute towards the development of our Online Short Break Information Service.
OSBIS will provide a ‘one stop shop’ where people will be able to search for information on all forms of short break and respite services from befriending and sitter schemes, to purpose built residential respite accommodation and supported holiday breaks. A lot of work has gone into developing the right ‘platform’ for this database and the prototype is now under test. OSBIS will be ready to launch later in the year.
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