Carer’s Right Day

This Thursday, 21 November, marks Carers Rights Day, and Dundee is putting its unpaid carers in the spotlight. The Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership, alongside the Dundee Carers Partnership, is rolling out initiatives to ensure carers are not only recognised but actively supported. While it’s great to see carers getting a day of recognition, it’s a stark reminder of how undervalued they often are the other 364 days of the year.

Let’s start with the basics: unpaid carers are the backbone of our communities. In Dundee alone, there are around 20,000 people caring for loved ones, partners, family members, or friends, who rely on their help to navigate daily life. Whether it’s cooking, cleaning, managing medications, or providing emotional support, carers perform an exhausting and often invisible role that saves the health and social care system millions every year.

Despite this, carers often face overwhelming challenges: financial strain, isolation, mental and physical exhaustion, and a lack of support. That’s why initiatives like Carers Rights Day and the launch of the Dundee Carer Involvement Framework are so important.

The Dundee Carer Involvement Framework aims to amplify carers’ voices, ensuring they have a say in the decisions that affect their lives. This isn’t just a feel-good exercise; it’s a critical step towards making sure carers are properly supported. If carers are expected to shoulder such immense responsibility, the least we can do is ensure they’re heard and empowered to influence policy.

As Councillor Ken Lynn, Chair of the Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership Integration Joint Board, puts it:

“Carers should feel confident to ask for what they need as well as challenging situations where their rights aren’t being met.”

This sentiment is at the heart of this year’s National Carers Rights Day theme: “Recognising Your Rights.”

Carers often aren’t aware of their entitlements, and the system doesn’t make it easy. Did you know that carers have the right to a Carer’s Assessment to identify the support they need? Or that they might be entitled to benefits like Carer’s Allowance? Many don’t.

Councillor Lynn’s call to empower carers to challenge unfair treatment is crucial. Whether it’s in the workplace, within educational institutions, or when accessing health and social care, carers need to know they’re not alone.

But empowerment requires more than just encouragement, it requires action. Policies need to be clear, accessible, and enforced. Employers, educators, and healthcare professionals must be trained to recognise and support carers. Most importantly, funding needs to be allocated to ensure these rights can be effectively implemented.

The local carers strategy, ‘A Caring Dundee 2’, is currently under review and will guide the city’s approach to supporting carers in the coming years. The Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership is urging carers to share their experiences and ideas to shape this strategy.

This is an opportunity to address some of the most pressing issues faced by carers:

• Access to Support Services: Many carers struggle to find or access the help they need, from respite care to mental health support.

• Financial Hardship: Being a carer often means sacrificing income or career progression. Benefits like Carer’s Allowance barely scratch the surface.

• Mental and Physical Health: The demands of caring can take a significant toll on carers’ well-being, with many reporting feelings of isolation, stress, and burnout.

If ‘A Caring Dundee 2’ is to make a real difference, it must tackle these issues head-on, with input directly from carers themselves.

Let’s be blunt: without unpaid carers, the health and social care system would collapse. They provide an estimated £193 billion worth of care annually across the UK, more than the NHS’s annual budget. Yet, despite their immense contribution, carers are often overlooked, underfunded, and undervalued.

Carers aren’t just care providers; they’re human beings with their own needs, dreams, and challenges. Supporting them isn’t just about ticking a box or fulfilling a moral obligation, it’s about recognising their intrinsic value to society and ensuring they can thrive alongside the people they care for.

Carers Rights Day is a great start, but what happens when the day ends? The work to support carers must continue every single day of the year. The Dundee Carers Partnership is right to emphasise collaboration between agencies working with adults and children to ensure carers are supported in every aspect of their lives.

But let’s not sugar-coat it: there’s a long way to go. Awareness days are important for shining a light on these issues, but they need to be backed by meaningful action. Carers deserve more than a pat on the back and a thank-you, they deserve tangible, lasting support that reflects the enormity of their contribution.

If you’re a carer, take the time to learn about your rights and get involved in shaping Dundee’s future strategy. If you’re not a carer, think about the carers in your life. Offer support, understanding, and, where possible, practical help.

To learn more about Carers Rights, click here.