Recognising the vital role of unpaid carers in Glasgow

Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting people across Glasgow’s communities, often balancing complex responsibilities while managing their own health, finances and wellbeing.

Supporting carers to maintain a good quality of life alongside their caring role is a key priority for Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP). This is reflected in our Carer Strategy 2025 to 2028 and the services already being delivered across the city.

A new national report now reinforces just how important that focus is.
Published by the Young Academy of Scotland, the report brings together the experiences of unpaid carers from across the country, highlighting both the value of the care they provide and the challenges they face in accessing support.

Around 759,000 people in Scotland provide care for a family member, partner or friend living with illness, disability or frailty. Their contribution is estimated to be worth £15.9 billion each year to the Scottish economy.

The research, involving Glasgow City HSCP’s strategic partner the University of Strathclyde, alongside Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, Carers Scotland and Carers UK, draws on survey responses from 50 carers across Scotland.

Their stories highlight the impact that caring can have on many aspects of life – from employment and finances to relationships and mental wellbeing.

While many respondents described caring for a loved one as rewarding, they also spoke about the pressures they face and the difficulty of finding consistent, timely support.

One carer described feeling: “left to pick up the pieces of a failing social support system”, reflecting a wider sense of strain and isolation expressed across the report.

The findings point to a need for more responsive and personalised systems of support, including clearer information, better access to breaks from caring, and financial support that reflects the realities of carers’ lives. The report also calls for greater recognition of carers, challenging what it describes as their continued ‘invisibility’ in society.

Jacqui McGoldrick, our HSCP’s Head of Older People’s Services and Primary Care (North East) said: “In Glasgow, many of these priorities are already being taken forward through the delivery of services linked to our Carer Strategy.

“Clearer access to support is being strengthened through published Carer Eligibility Criteria, helping to ensure a more consistent and transparent approach to how support is provided across the city. Information and guidance available through local services are designed to help carers better understand what support is available and how to access it.”

Carers in the city can also access Adult Carer Support Plans, which help identify their individual needs and connect them with tailored support. Alongside this, a Short Breaks Services Statement sets out how carers can take time away from their caring responsibilities, an important step in supporting health and wellbeing.

Together, these approaches reflect a shift towards more personalised, joined-up support – one of the central themes of the Young Academy of Scotland report.

The report also highlights the importance of recognising carers as partners in care and involving them in shaping services. This is echoed in Glasgow’s approach, where co-production with carers is central to the development and delivery of support.

The HSCP’s strategy similarly emphasises the importance of working alongside carers to ensure services reflect the realities of their day-to-day lives.

Dr Kieren Egan, lead author of the report and member of the Young Academy of Scotland, said: “As demands on our care system grow, informal carers shoulder immense responsibility, while receiving too little recognition. Our findings make it clear that national and local decision-makers must act now to ensure carers are valued across Scotland.

“The report highlights an opportunity to reimagine how unpaid care is supported, placing lived experience at the centre of future policy and service design.”

To find out more about support for carers in Glasgow available from Glasgow City HSCP visit https://www.hsciglasgow.org/carers