The Director of Health and Social Care for South Lanarkshire has praised the commitment and compassion of unpaid carers at the start of a national campaign week.

Carers’ week (5-11 June) is geared to raising awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face - and recognising the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK.

Professor Soumen Sengupta underlined the deeply held appreciation for unpaid carers in South Lanarkshire – and reiterated the Health and Social Care Partnership’s (HSCP) commitment to working with partners to support them.

“I am completely aware of, and often see, the phenomenal contributions unpaid carers make across our diverse communities. “Every case and story is different but the common thread is that of support based on empathy and compassion.”

A plan geared to protecting the most vulnerable members of South Lanarkshire communities was recently consolidated amid an extremely harsh financial backdrop for health and social care highlighted by Audit Scotland. 

Professor Sengupta added “These are tough times and we are committed to doing our best to look out for those doing the looking after with valued local partners such as Lanarkshire Carers and Action for Children.

“I also appreciate that many people who are caring for a loved one or someone close to them don’t identify themselves as carers, which is why this national campaign is important in highlighting sources of support that are available.”

• South Lanarkshire HSCP commission two main organisations to provide a vast array of supports and services to adult and young carers. These are Lanarkshire Carers and Action for Children – Young Carers Services. 
• Both organisations have plans in place to coordinate activities throughout Carer’s week. 
• You can find out more from their respective sites:

Lanarkshire Carers - Lanarkshire Carers

South Lanarkshire Young Carers | Dedicated to supporting young carers

• The HSCP are also nearing the completion of the Carers Strategy for 2023 – 2026 and its associated action plan.  Wider plans are being made to align local learning and development activity to the refreshed national launch of EPIC (Equal Partners in Care) Carer Awareness Programme.
• More information can be found here:

Carers and caring - South Lanarkshire Council

• “Carer Positive” is a Scottish Government funded initiative developed with the support of a strong partnership between private, public and voluntary sector in Scotland, to ensure that awareness is raised to the challenges facing working carers, and encourage employers to understand the business benefits of supporting those staff.  Both South Lanarkshire Council and NHS Lanarkshire hold the Carer Positive Award and Lanarkshire Carers have just recently become a Carer Positive Exemplary Employer.

• The HSCP encourages all employers to consider applying to be a Carer Positive employer in South Lanarkshire.  Further detail can be found :Carer Positive the standard for employers in creating supportive working environment for carers