This June we celebrate Carers Week to highlight the importance of unpaid carers. From 6 to 12 June, Local Carers Centres in Glasgow City raised awareness and organised activities for people who provide everyday unpaid support to friends, family and neighbours who can’t manage otherwise. 

In Glasgow City, 14.4% of adults (74,000) undertake the role of a carer in some shape or form.

The theme of this year’s annual Carers Week was 'Make caring visible, valued and supported'. It highlights the importance of unpaid carers and the challenges of caring that should be recognised in all areas of life. Caring should be valued and respected by everyone in our society and carers should have access to the information and support that they need, where and when they need it.
Having a week dedicated to unpaid carers was an opportunity for Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) to engage with both staff and the public to ensure that people who care for others know about the help and support that’s available to them.

To celebrate Carers Week, Glasgow Local Carers Centres organised a calendar of events for all unpaid carers to attend, from cream teas to fancy hat garden parties. 
In the South West, the local care centre hosted Carers Mindfulness and Wellbeing Sessions and an Afternoon Tea Party to celebrate the unpaid carers they support. In the South East, the local care centre put together weeklong celebrations. The team organised Garden Parties, park walks and a special event for Young Carers.

Around the city, our Carer Information and Advice team visited community venues during Carers Week and provided information and advice to people in Glasgow that might not recognise they are unpaid carers. 

To further mark the occasion, on Monday 6 June, the new Carer Strategy 2022-2025 was launched. The Carer Strategy plays a key role in delivering Glasgow City HSCP’s commitment to making Glasgow a carer friendly city where unpaid carers are treated with compassion and kindness and supported in their role. 

Fred Beckett, Carers Lead for our HSCP recognised the invaluable contribution of unpaid carers in Glasgow all year round. Fred said: “Carers Week is such an important time for all the carers in Glasgow to be recognised for all that they do every single day. We all have a part to play in making Glasgow’s unpaid carers visible and valued but it’s up to us to spread the message about support. You can get in contact with your local carer centre or you can self-refer yourself by using the information below. There’s help out there for you so please reach out.”

Help and support for Unpaid Carers

If you’re looking after someone in Glasgow and want further information on carers’ rights, news, campaigns and accessing services (including an online carer self-referral form), then visit our Your Support Your Way Glasgow website. Carer Act Resources are available and updated regularly.

You can also contact the Glasgow Carers Partnership Carers Information Line by phoning 0141 353 6504 for information, advice and signposting to relevant services.

As a carer positive organisation, Glasgow City Council supports employees who are carers and has a variety of policies, procedures and guidance to support carers in the workplace. These can be viewed on Connect by staff who have access.

The Scottish Government has launched a National Wellbeing Hub, which provides information about help and support that’s available to health and social care staff and unpaid carers nationally, locally and within their own organisations.

To find out what help and support is available in Scotland, visit the Carers Scotland website.