Consultation on Draft Aberdeenshire Adult Carers Strategy 2025 to 2030

The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 was implemented in April 2018 which introduced a number of responsibilities on all Scottish local authorities and health and social care partnerships to support unpaid carers in a different way. One of these responsibilities was to develop and publish local carer strategy for adult carers and this was first published in 2018, following consultation with carers and all other interested stakeholders.

Aberdeenshire HSCP is reviewing it’s Adult Carer Strategy, which is our plan summarising what we have been doing and detailing what we plan to do to support adult carers. Your views are very important in helping us identify what we are doing well and how we can improve support to adult carers over the next five years.

We want to consult with adult carers, those supporting them and anyone with an interest in supporting adult carers, on our draft Aberdeenshire Adult Carer Strategy 2025 to 2030. We engaged with carers and those who support them during August to October last year. We then used this feedback to develop our updated draft Strategy and Priorities, We would now like your views on the draft strategy which can be viewed from the following links:

An adult carer (sometimes referred to as an unpaid carer) is anyone aged 18 and over who cares for a family member or friend due to illness, disability, mental ill-health, alcohol or drug dependency. The adult carer may look after the cared-for person on their own or they may be helped by others.

This survey will take about 5 minutes to complete and will close at 23:59 on 1st September 2025.

For any questions regarding this survey or to request in other formats, please email carersupport@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Are you responding as an unpaid carer / former carer or as a group, organisation or Health and Social Care Team?

* required

I am an unpaid carer or former unpaid carer

I am responding on behalf of a group

I am responding on behalf of an organisation

I am responding as a professional supporting unpaid carers or cared-for individuals

I am responding on behalf of a Health and Social Care Team

Other, please specify:

About this Strategy

Please tell us how clear you think the strategy is in explaining issues carers may face:

Select option

Please add any comments you may have on how clearly the strategy explains issues carers may face:

Are we committing to the right priorities for adult carers in Aberdeenshire?

Carer Identification

Are we taking the right actions to identify carers?

Select option

Please add any comments you may have on actions to identify carers:

Carer Support

Are we taking the right actions to continuously develop carer support services available to carers, to ensure carers can access support at the time when they require it?

Select option

Please add any comments you may have on actions to continuously develop support available to carers:

Carer Involvement in Hospital Discharge

Are we taking the right actions to support carers to be involved in the hospital discharge of the person they are caring for?

Select option

Please add any comments you may have on actions to involve carers in hospital discharge:

Carer Breaks

Carer Breaks include time away from caring to rest, recharge and do something enjoyable, such as relaxing, seeing friends, or pursuing a hobby.

10.

Are we taking the right actions to support carers to access breaks from caring?

Select option

11.

Please add any comments you may have on actions to support carers to access breaks from caring:

Valuing and Recognising Carers

12.

Are we doing the right things to ensure carers feel valued and recognised?

Select option

13.

Please add any comments you may have on actions to ensure carers feel valued and recognised:

14.

Are we doing the right things to support carers to be involved in planning and shaping carer support across Aberdeenshire?

Select option

15.

Please add any comments on actions to support carers to be involved in planning and shaping carer support across Aberdeenshire:

Any Other Comments

16.

If you have any other comments regarding the Draft Aberdeenshire Adult Carer Strategy 2025 to 2030, please add here:

More About You (Optional Questions if you are responding as a carer. Otherwise please move to end of the survey and submit your answers)

If you are responding as an unpaid carer, please answer any of following questions you are happy to answer.

We would like to ask some more questions about you, which will help Aberdeenshire Health & Social Care Partnership to improve its services.

The information you provide is confidential. All questions in this section are optional .The information will be used for statistical and research purposes only.

17.

Are You? (Optional)

Select option

18.

Please tell us how old you are? (Optional)

Select option

19.

What is your ethnic group? (Optional)

Select option

20.

Please tell us which area of Aberdeenshire you live in? (Optional)

Select option

Aberdeenshire Carer Support Service - VSA Contact Details

VSA provide a Carer Support Service for Aberdeenshire Adult Carers and Young Carers.

For more information on VSA Aberdeenshire Carer Support Service (including online referral forms) visit www.vsa.org.uk/carers, or contact by Email to carers.shire@vsa.org.uk or Telephone: 01224 727670. VSA also have Facebook Group VSA Aberdeenshire Carers.