Government commits to 10 aims of Young Carers Covenant

Social care minister Maree Todd has welcomed the Scottish Government’s newly-pledged commitment to the Young Carers Covenant.

The covenant is a UK-wide commitment to young carers and young adult carers and was launched on Wednesday as part of Young Carers Action Day.

It sets out 10 key outcomes that young carers consider important to improving their lives, including that they have time to themselves, are able to thrive in education, and can access employment or training.

There are believed to be around one million young carers aged 17 or under in the UK and a further 600,000 young adult carers aged between 18 and 25.

Ms Todd said: “It is Young Carer Action Day, a day which challenges us all to consider what further actions we can take to support the 27,000 young carers in Scotland.

“I am very pleased that the Scottish Government will be formally committing to Carer Trust’s Young Carer Covenant, and its 10 outcomes.

“Doing so will make us the first Government in the UK to do this, and we hope it will serve as an example to other organisations to do the same.

“The covenant aligns with our policies and actions, including those in our national carers strategy.

“Work is already under way in many of these areas, including those linked to this year’s Young Carer Action Day theme of ‘Give Us A Break’.”