What are my rights
The Carers (Scotland) Act
The Carers (Scotland) Act came into effect on the 1st April 2018. This legislation provides Adult Carers and Young Carers in Scotland with a number of new and enhanced rights.
The Statutory Guidance is a really useful document for carers which details all aspects of the Carers (Scotland) Act and outlines what duties local authorities and health boards have to support carers in their local area.
These rights are also summarised in a shorter document produced by the Scottish Government called the Carers Charter.
Short guides to the Carers (Scotland) Act
We have developed a set of leaflets for carers to explain the different areas of the Carers Act.
They can be downloaded using the links below.
(These leaflets can also be adapted by local organisations to include local information and contact details. If you would like further information about this, please contact us)
What other rights do carers have?
As well as the Carers ( Scotland) Act, carers in Scotland also have a number of other rights in relation to employment legislation, the Equality Act and the Human Rights Act.
We have included some useful guides below to explain some of these rights that carers have.
Your Rights At Work
It can often feel quite overwhelming if you are juggling paid work commitments alongside your caring role at home. Please know that you are not alone and that you do have employment rights that can hep you find a balance between your work and caring commitments.
To learn more you can download a useful factsheet about your rights at work produced by colleagues at Carers UK.
Carers and the Equality Act
Under the Equality Act 2010, carers who have one or more protected characteristics cannot be discriminated against when accessing services or support for themselves. To learn more, you can download a brief summary of your key rights as a carer under the Equality Act.
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Carers and Human Rights
Your human rights as an unpaid carer are protected under the Human Rights Act (1998). Human rights law states that everyone has the right to be treated fairly and with proper respect for their dignity.
To learn more about how the Human Rights Act can help carers and the people that they care for, you can download a helpful guide produced by the British Institute for Human Rights.