Scotland: More than half of young carers aren’t getting the breaks they need, alarming survey finds

Young carers gather at the Scottish Parliament on Young Carers Action Day to call on MSPs and decision-makers for more support

• Almost a quarter of young carers say no one else can provide the care they do
• Almost two-fifths worry too much about the person they care for to take a break
• 72% miss out on the school holidays because of the pressures of their caring role, nearly half miss out on friendships and almost one in five say they’re missing time out of their education

Asked what stopped them getting a break, almost a quarter said there was no one else to provide the care they give. Two-fifths (40%) said they worried too much about the person they care for to take time out from looking after them.

One young carer said:

“I feel bad for taking breaks and when I have time for myself I’m always thinking that I could be doing something else to help out. It’s isolating because I can’t meet up with friends. I can text but it’s just not the same. Everyone’s planning their holidays and trips but I know I can’t go on holiday.”

The findings have been released by Carers Trust for Young Carers Action Day on 12 March. They show how the pressures and responsibilities of their caring role means that young carers often miss out on education, friendships, holidays and many other things their classmates take for granted.

The survey of 423 young and young adult carers found as many as one in five (17%) can rarely take a break while 5% never get one at all.

Almost three-quarters of young carers (72%) said they miss out on the holidays because they provide care, the survey showed.

Many young carers felt they were shut out of a lot of the things most other children get to do. Nearly half (49%) miss out on friendships, and 46% on hobbies. Almost two-thirds (65%) said they lacked time to themselves and nearly one in five (19%) felt they were missing their education.

Carers Trust are proud hosts of the Scottish Young Carers Festival - with support and sponsorship from the Scottish Government - which provides a much-needed break for over 400 young carers every summer. However, there is so much more young carers need, and we are today calling on the Scottish Government to ensure all young carers have access to regular, properly funded breaks from their caring role.

We are also calling on all Politicians, education providers, employers and other organisations to pledge their support to improving the lives of Scotland’s young carers, by signing the Young Carers Covenant.

Young Carers Action Day is an annual campaign organised by Carers Trust with its network of local carer organisations. It aims to highlight the challenges faced by the UK’s one million young carers (under-18s) and the hundreds of thousands of young adult carers aged 18-25. At least 16,000 young carers in the UK, some just five years old, are caring for 50 hours a week or more, according to the most recent census data.

This year, the theme of Young Carers Action Day is “Give Me a Break.” It was chosen by young carers themselves to show their need for respite but also to be given a chance in life by schools, employers and politicians.

Young Carers Action Day in Scotland

Young carers will take part in the following events to raise awareness and call for better support:

• Young Carers Action Day at the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) in Edinburgh: Mass gathering of young carers from across Scotland will be joined by First Minister, John Swinney MSP outside of Scottish Parliament for a photocall. Young carers will meet MSPs and share their experiences, highlighting the need for improved support.
• Roundtable Discussion with Young Carers: A discussion at Scottish Parliament with decision-makers about better access to breaks for young carers.
• Young Carer Action Day Parliamentary Debate: will take place in the Scottish Parliament Chamber with over 100 young carers in attendance.
• Dynamic Earth: Free access for young carers and local carer organisations attending the events at the Scottish Parliament.

Becky Duff, Carers Trust’s Director for Scotland said,

“There are at least 30,000 young people fulfilling a caring role in Scotland today. We are hearing directly from them how important a break from those role is, for their health and wellbeing, their education and their futures. And yet so few are able to access a meaningful break from their caring roles.

Young carers are individuals and there needs to be flexibility in how they can access a break. This might be attending a weekly club or peer support group, so as well as funding individual breaks for young carers we must also ensure that there is a well-funded, sustainable network of young carers services across Scotland.”

Carers Trust Scotland invites the Scottish Government to support Young Carers Action Day and ensure young carers’ voices are heard.