June saw the country celebrate Carers Week to highlight the importance of unpaid carers. From 7 to 13 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.

The theme of this year’s Carers Week was ‘Making Caring Visible and Valued’. 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 general public to ensure that people who care for others know about the help and support that is 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. The South East Carers Centre kicked off the week on Monday, 7 June with a 5K walk around Shawlands and Queens Park. The walk was designed to make caring visible and get them energised for the week ahead.  

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 they do every single day. We all have a part to play in making Glasgow’s unpaid carers visible and valued. It’s also important to recognise that many employees are also unpaid carers who may need support in their caring role.”

Help and Support for Unpaid Carers

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

If you are 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’s 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 have a variety of policies, procedures and guidance to support carers in the workplace. These can be viewed on Connect by staff who have access. 

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