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Photo of four people sitting on chairs reading from paper. There is a white projector screen at the back, and a filming camera in the foreground.

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News: Care Week to be marked with free performance exploring Scotland's care system

Posted 19 October, 2022 by Nina Joynson. Image credit: Julie Howden.

Arts care care experience young carers

National Theatre of Scotland will stream a free package of theatre work for three weeks, including a filmed script reading and panel discussion that explores the care system.

To mark National Care Leavers' Week in the UK and Care Experienced Week in Scotland, audiences will have free access to Holding/Holding On, a filmed reading of playwright Nicola McCartney's script.

Available for three weeks from 21 October, the film will be accompanied by a  panel discussion recorded during the Scottish Parliament's Festival of Politics 2022.

Holding/Holding On

With experience as a foster carer, Nicola McCartney met with care-experienced young people and adults, care professionals, and Independent Care Review contributors to develop the script with authentic narratives.

Its reading has been been filmed with a cast of nine performers in scenes that focus on how society treats those in care, those who are care experienced, and the experiences of carers.

It highlights the language used to define them; society’s fascination with media tropes; the entanglement of care with class and poverty, and the role that care actually plays in the care system.

The script's writer, Nicola McCartney, said:

“‘Holding/ Holding On’ gives different perspectives on how we look after our most vulnerable children and where we might go in future.

"The filmed reading of our work-in-progress puts forward ideas about what’s not working, celebrates some of what is and I hope asks some big questions about what each of us needs to do to really make Scotland ‘the best place in the world to grow up’”.

A conversation about care 

Care, Love and Understanding – a panel discussion exploring how society treats young people and adults in the Scottish care system will be released alongside the film.

Chaired by Karen Adam MSP, panellists include Ryan McCuaig, chair of the board at Who Cares? Scotland, and Kenneth Murray and Nicola McCartney from the Holding/Holding On project.

The discussion looks at the role that class and poverty plays in the system and asks where love and compassion come on the list of priorities.

Both Holding/Holding On, a filmed script reading, and Care, Love and Understanding, a panel discussion, will be available freely for audiences from 21 October until 10 November.

Click here to learn more on the National Theatre of Scotland website

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A black and white image of a man looking at the camera from the chest up. He has short brown hair and is wearing a dark shirt.

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Comment: 'Young carers must remain a priority and at the forefront of policy development’

Posted 16 March 2022, by Jennifer Drummond

health and wellbeing kinship care Mental Health young carers

On Young Carers Action Day 2022, Paul Traynor (pictured) highlights why increased support for young carers and young adult carers is vital and calls to progress the ‘right to a break’.

Young Carers Action Day is an annual campaign day organised by Carers Trust. Now in its seventh year, it raises awareness of young carers and the immense contribution they make to their families and local communities through caring for a friend or family member who cannot cope without their support.

The theme for the 2022 Young Carers Action Day is 'Taking Action on Isolation'. During the pandemic, when many services were reduced or unavailable, young carers spent more time caring at home, unable to take a break. They have told us that, as a result, they have felt increasingly isolated and disconnected from friends and peers.

But there are other significant issues beyond isolation. The findings of The Carers Trust survey, conducted at the start of the year, paint a bleak picture about the very real lack of support for young carers in many areas of their lives.

A total of 571 young carers took part across the UK, with 170 respondents based in Scotland.

Many responding to the survey made it clear that there is not enough support to help them lead their own lives and plan for their future while managing their caring role.

This lack of support is happening when many young carers are having to spend even more time on their caring role.

More than half (53%) said the time they spend on their caring role had increased in the past year. The survey further found that:

  • 1 in 5 young carers were unable to take any break from their caring role.
  • More than half of young carers were feeling less connected to others.
  • 1 in 3 young carers didn’t feel included with their friends.
  • 31% of young carers felt they don’t get enough rest or time for themselves.
  • A third of young carers felt lonely.
  • 42% of young carers always” or “usually” feel stressed.

This sense of anxiety in a context of loneliness and isolation is reinforced in many of the comments left by young carers who responded to our survey with comments including:

“I’m more stressed and anxious and I just feel like I need a break”

“My mental health is awful and I really struggle to take time for myself at home. The only time I have away from my family is at school but I don't even like going to school because I get so nervous for everything and I'm always so exhausted“ 

“It’s quite lonely and I don’t feel like anyone understands or is there for me. I got really upset the other night cos of my mum, it was really intense and school was really hard the next day” 

“I never got a break in almost two years, I worked hard to keep mum out of hospital as I was scared what would happen if she went in. I never get any thanks or praise for what I do…” 

In response to these findings, Carers Trust Scotland is calling for young carers to have a right to access the regular breaks they need to support positive wellbeing, reduce social isolation, and live a fulfilled life alongside caring.

We know that breaks can be very beneficial for young carers, giving them time to recharge and do things they enjoy. Young carers are, and must be seen as, children and young people first and foremost and their rights must be upheld. Short breaks provide a much-needed release from the physical and emotional demands of the caring situation and help promote positive health and wellbeing.

A proposed “right to a break” for unpaid carers was included in the Scottish Government’s National Care Service consultation in 2021 and was welcomed by the majority of young carers we consulted with. It is vital that this right is introduced, and that young carers, do not become forgotten in the planning and implementation.

It is imperative that young carers remain a priority and at the forefront of future policy development. We believe that young carers having a right to the breaks they need is a progressive step forward to Taking Action on Isolation now and, in the months and years to come.

Paul Traynor, Head of External Affairs, Carers Trust Scotland

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News: Young carers running on empty, says leading charity

Posted 16 March 2022, by Jennifer Drummond

Education health and wellbeing kinship care Mental Health young carers

The Carers Trust has highlighted how a lack of support, coupled with a dramatic rise in time spent caring, is leaving young carers across Scotland feeling ‘lonely’, ‘exhausted’, ‘burned out’ and ‘stressed’.

Results from a survey conducted earlier this year revealed that more than half (54%) of young carers (aged 18 or under) and young adult carers (aged 16-25) responding to the survey have seen an increase in the amount of time spent caring for parents or siblings with care and support needs.

One in five reported spending up to 49 hours per week on their caring responsibilities.

The survey also found:

  • More than one in five (22%) of young carers and young adult carers said they felt unable to take a break from caring
  • More than a third of respondents (36%) said their caring role resulted in them either ‘always’ or ‘usually’ feeling ‘worried
  • One in three (33%) of young carers and young adult carers said their caring role resulted in them ‘always’ or ‘usually’ feeling ‘lonely’
  • More than two in five (42%) said their caring responsibilities resulted in them feeling stressed
  • Almost half (47%) of young carers and adult carers said they never or rarely received support from their school, college or university in balancing study with a caring role.

The impact of coronavirus

The pressures have been greatly exacerbated by the global pandemic with many essential services closed as a result of lockdown. This transferred further caring responsibilities onto young carers across the country.

The survey revealed that as a direct result of the pandemic, carers felt more stressed and less connected to others. Many also said they felt their education was suffering, their mental health was worse and they were concerned about future prospects.

Carers Trust recommendations

Carers Trust Scotland is responding to the survey findings by calling for action to address isolation among young carers and young adult carers. Recommended action include:

  • More commissioned breaks and respite for young carers and young adult carers.
  • Increased monitoring of how local authorities are meeting statutory duties to identify and support young carers.
  • Adoption of a more integrated and collaborative approach to support from all education providers, including working in partnership with the NHS, local authorities and local carer organisations.

The findings and calls for action are published today (Wednesday 16 March) to mark Young Carers Action Day, an annual event led and organised by Carers Trust to raise awareness of young carers and the challenges they face.

Want to read more? Click here for the exclusive comment piece from Paul Traynor, Head of External Affairs, Carers Trust Scotland.

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