Meeting of the Parliament 04 February 2016
It gives me great pleasure to speak in the debate. Just before the debate, I met a group of carers who came to the Parliament with Enable Scotland to celebrate the inclusion in the bill of emergency planning and future planning, for which Enable had campaigned. We cannot exaggerate the sense of achievement that people feel, not only about succeeding in that but about the bill overall, which gives them proper rights for the first time. The psychological shift that is involved in that is important. Many people, particularly a certain generation, do not like asking for help, but there is a shift when the rights are enshrined in law. The fact that emergency planning will now be part of those rights has made a big difference.
A year ago, Enable came to the cross-party group on carers, which I co-convene, and presented a piece of work called “Picking up the pieces: Supporting Carers with Emergency Planning”, which surveyed the extent of emergency and long-term planning for carers throughout the country. It also identified the difficulties faced by carers when an emergency prevents them from caring. Such emergencies can be long or short term. They are usually unexpected and could be as simple as a car breaking down or a bus not turning up so that the cared-for person does not get the help that they need. Obviously, they can also be something much more serious: a hospital admission, an accident or sudden illness can result in the cared-for person being separated from essential support.
The problem is particularly acute if there is no wider family support and if the cared-for person’s needs are so great that they cannot be left alone to look after themselves. Fear of such a situation occurring is a constant source of stress for the carer. Related to that, for older carers in particular, are questions of what happens if the crisis is not resolved and what happens if there is no long-term plan. Will their loved one be placed in unsuitable accommodation? For example, a young person with a learning difficulty could be put into residential accommodation for older folk. Will the cared-for person be moved away from the area and away from their friends, their routine, their support networks and their leisure activities—everything that they enjoy and that is essential to their quality of life? Putting in place a long-term plan for suitable accommodation in a place that the cared-for person knows and feels happy with is absolutely essential.
Enable’s presentation clearly struck a chord with all the carers present at the cross-party group, not just those who care for someone with a learning disability. “Picking up the pieces” was not just about carers looking after someone with a learning disability. Enable found that emergency planning varied across the country. There were some very good examples and some bad examples. After that presentation the cross-party group identified emergency planning as a priority for the bill.
Initially there was disappointment that emergency planning would be covered by regulations, but the minister listened carefully to representations from Enable, other carers groups and MSPs such as me. I am pleased that he took on board our arguments and put emergency and long-term planning in the bill. It is difficult to exaggerate the sense of achievement that that brought to campaigners. The minister emphasised emergency and long-term planning in his speech and comments today; the fact that he sees it as so important is very welcome.
Jen Savage, Enable’s director of campaigns and external affairs, said:
“Enable Scotland is absolutely delighted with the announcement. We congratulate the First Minister”—
who of course first announced the change regarding emergency planning—
“for listening to the voices of carers of people who have learning disabilities about their worries about the future, and deciding to change the Carers Bill to make things better.”
Enable is already very much on the ball. It has prepared a toolkit to take forward the emergency planning provisions. I have it here—I know that I am not really supposed to show it to members, but it is very well worth looking at. There is an emergency plan that goes with the toolkit, which encourages people to answer the questions that they have in their heads about the needs of the people for whom they care, but which they do not necessarily always articulate. It is really important that the plan is not just in the carer’s head but written down. I recommend the toolkit to everyone in the chamber.
16:26