Health & Social Care Moray (HSCM) has reported good progress in delivering the Moray Unpaid Carers Strategy, with a range of developments helping to strengthen support and improve the experiences of unpaid carers.
An update, presented to Moray Integration Joint Board’s Audit, Performance and Risk Committee today (26 February) set out work undertaken during the current reporting period to strengthen support for adult and young carers in line with the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016.
It is estimated that around 16,200 adults and children in Moray provide some form of unpaid care to family members, friends, or neighbours who would otherwise struggle to manage independently. Their contribution is integral to the sustainability of local health and social care services.
The Moray strategy, which runs until 2028, is built around three strategic priorities: recognising carers, valuing carers and supporting carers. It is underpinned by a delivery plan supported by annual Carer Act funding, with targeted actions across key priority areas including early identification, awareness-raising, workforce development and strengthening support pathways.
Key developments progressed by the HSCM Unpaid Carers Team and highlighted in the report include:
- A refreshed Young Carers Statement (YCS). Two updated, outcome-focused versions have been developed – a primary-aged template using simplified language and visual supports, and a more detailed secondary-aged version. These will be trialled with young carers and education partners to ensure they are meaningful, consistent and shaped by lived experience.
- Young Carer Champions in schools. Five schools have now identified Young Carer Champions to support awareness and early identification. Further expansion of this model is planned, embedding carer-aware practice across education settings.
- Carer Aware branding. Consultation on new Carer Aware branding has concluded via the Moray Engage platform. Feedback is informing final design and implementation plans. The branding will be used across health, social care, education and community settings, including on Carer Aware cards and badges, to improve visibility and recognition of carers.
- Adult Unpaid Carers Survey. A Moray-wide survey is currently live on Moray Engage engagement hub, gathering carers’ experiences of initial contact with services, support planning, and whether they feel recognised, valued and supported. Findings will inform future workforce development and provide a baseline for annual benchmarking. A young carers’ survey will follow shortly.
- Staff survey. A professional survey for health, social care and education staff is being rolled out to establish a baseline of knowledge and confidence in identifying and referring unpaid carers. This will directly inform the 2026 training programme.
- Improved communication and awareness. Two editions of the Unpaid Carers Professionals’ Newsletter have been issued. Versions for adult and young carers are in development to enhance communication and improve information sharing across the community.
The committee also considered the evaluation of a collaborative pilot project between HSCM’s Unpaid Carers Team and Maryhill Group GP Practice in Elgin.
The project adopted a whole-practice approach to improving the identification and recording of unpaid carers, initially focusing on reception staff as the first point of contact. Achievements included improved staff awareness of how to recognise and support carers and clearer signposting pathways to local carer support services. There was a 63% increase in recorded unpaid carers on GP patient records following the introduction of a single, standardised unpaid carer identifier.
Building on this success, HSCM is developing a support toolkit to enable wider rollout of the project across other GP practices.
Councillor Ben Williams, Chair of the Audit, Performance and Risk Committee, said: “Unpaid carers make an extraordinary contribution across Moray, often quietly and without recognition. I welcome today’s update on the delivery of the Unpaid Carers Strategy which demonstrates clear progress in strengthening how we identify and support carers.
“We are committed to building on this work – improving visibility, equipping staff with the right skills, and ensuring carers can access support early, before reaching crisis point. While there is more to do, this report shows strong partnership working and a clear direction of travel.”
