All adult carers in Scotland have a right to an adult carer support plan. This right is set out in the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016.

The plan will be prepared following a conversation with you, and will contain information about your personal circumstances and caring role.  It will also identify your needs and the support that is available to meet these.

From 31st July 2021 all carers of people who are terminally ill should be be offered an ACSP within 2 working days of a person being identified as a relevant carer and if this is not possible, as soon as reasonably practical thereafter.

The adult carer support plan will contain a variety of information about your own circumstances and caring role. It must contain information about:-

• the nature and extent of the care provided and the impact on your wellbeing and day-to-day life;
• the extent to which you are able and willing to provide care;
• emergency and future care planning, including any arrangements that are in place;
• what ‘personal outcomes’ matter to you in order to help you carry out your caring responsibilities, to have a life alongside caring, and to improve your own health and wellbeing;
• support available to you if you live in a different local authority are from the person you care for;
• whether support should be provided as a break from caring (often known as respite);
• support available to you locally – this may be through what are known as “Universal Services”, which are services, such as those provided by Carers Link, which are freely accessible to everyone;
• any support which the responsible local authority intends to provide to you ( the support that is provided will depend on whether you meet the local eligibility criteria); and
• the circumstances in which your adult carer support plan is to be reviewed.

You can find out more in our leaflet What to expect when you make an adult carer support plan