The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on a proposed new right to breaks for unpaid carers, and is seeking views on how this should be implemented.
The consultation is open via an online survey and provides an opportunity for unpaid carers and organisations to help shape how this new right will work in practice.
The proposed changes form part of the Care Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, which will amend the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016. The new provisions aim to introduce a right to personalised short breaks support for carers who are currently unable to access sufficient breaks from their caring responsibilities.
The Scottish Government has highlighted that this new right has the potential to be transformative for unpaid carers, while recognising the need to reflect current pressures on carers and support services.
Roundtable Events
To support engagement with the consultation, Shared Care Scotland is hosting an online roundtable event:
- Tuesday 21 April 2026, 10:30am – 12:00pm – BOOK NOW
These sessions provide an opportunity for individuals and organisations to share their views and contribute to shaping the future of short breaks support.
For further information about the event, contact the Shared Care Scotland communications team at:
comms@sharedcarescotland.com
Submit Your Response
The deadline for responses is Friday 22 May 2026.
Unpaid carers, organisations and stakeholders are encouraged to take part and help inform future policy.
To submit your response and access the full consultation documents, visit the Scottish Government website.
