Exploring the Carers Census: Discovery Report

The Carers Census aims to help monitor the implementation of The Carers Scotland Act (2016), collecting a wide variety of information on unpaid carers and the support they receive. There continues to be significant gaps in data about unpaid carers in Scotland, with the recent Carers Census report highlighting challenges around quality and variance of data being collected and submitted from local areas. Data requirements have also led to changes in local assessment practice which has impacted on the experience of carers and staff.

We undertook a discover project to further understand these challenges, engaging with key stakeholders through a number of events and interviews with participation from over 130 staff and carers representing 30 local authorities in Scotland. This report shares their experiences and key insights in collecting, managing and reporting carer data. Using the Scottish Approach to Service Design, the report aims to improve our understanding of current experience and identifies several opportunities for improvement that will be further explored in the next phase of activity.

We would like to thank our partners for their support throughout this activity:
• Scottish Government Carers Policy Team
• Scottish Government Social Care Analysis Unit
• NHS NSS Service Design Hub
• Carers Trust

Report: Exploring the Carers Census