Implementation of the Carers and Young Carers Strategy

As an amendment to motion S4M-01399 in the name of Michael Matheson (Implementation of the Carers and Young Carers Strategy), leave out from "agrees" to end and insert "further acknowledges promises in successive carers strategies for increased respite hours, emergency carers plans, mutual and sustainable support, good quality information and for carers to be treated as equal partners in care and care planning, but notes with concern that respite care hours have decreased in around a third of local authority areas in the last three years and that figures are obscured by different counting methodologies such as counting overnight stays as more than two days’ respite in some areas; further acknowledges the particular roles and needs of young and kinship carers and also welcomes the aspiration that, from 2012-13 onwards, at least 20% of spend from the Change Fund for Older People’s Services will be dedicated to supporting carers to continue to care for older people, but notes concerns expressed by carers groups that this money must not be used to replace funding lost through local cuts.”