Organisations supporting unpaid carers in Edinburgh – including VOCAL, The Action Group, MECOPP, EDG, FAIR, Care for Carers, The Eric Liddell Community, Edinburgh Young Carers, LGBT Health and Wellbeing, and Space – have written to the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) to highlight the significant impact that proposed cuts to vital support services and new commissioning models will have on carers.
Our letter follows a report published yesterday, on Carers Rights Day, by Carers Scotland revealing that unpaid carers in Edinburgh save the city’s health and social care economy a staggering £1.047 billion per year – a figure which comes at a great personal and financial cost to carers.
The EIJB’s grant programme currently provides £222,000 in funding for carer support services, which includes day care, befriending, therapeutic activities, and condition-specific supports. These services help carers manage their responsibilities, maintain employment, and prevent crises. This support enables carers to balance their caring responsibilities with other commitments such as employment.
In addition to the grants programme, 37% of Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 funding is used to commission third sector organisations to support the EHSCP to meet their statutory duties under this legislation. This funding has not kept pace with the increase or complexity of carer support required, resulting in significant gaps between supply and demand. Many of the services and supports funded through the grants programme provide much needed additional resources to fill these gaps and support the EHSCP to meet their statutory duties.
Our call to action
To address these urgent concerns, we urgently request the EIJB to:
- a timetable for consultation with carers and carer organisations on alternative proposals
- collaborative working with the EVOC Carers Forum to identify a sustainable model of carer representation on the EIJB.
- a review of the proposed PSP model to include a separate PSP for commissioning of carers services.
We remain committed to working collaboratively with the EIJB to navigate financial challenges without jeopardising the wellbeing of Edinburgh’s unpaid carers. We believe it is essential to safeguard the health, employment, and quality of life of carers, who form the backbone of Edinburgh’s care system.
You can download the EIJB letter below.
