Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, met with the staff and volunteers at the Renfrewshire Carers Centre on Carers Rights Day to highlight the importance of the work that carers do and the support that they need.
As part of his 13 surgeries a month, Gavin holds a surgery at the Carers Centre in Paisley, every month giving local carers the opportunity to raise any specific issue with him.
Carers Rights Day is on 25th of November and this year the theme is knowing your rights as a carer. The aim of the day is to help carers know their rights and find out how to get the help and support they are entitled to.
According to research published by Carers UK, people often don’t see themselves as carers and aren’t identified, as a result missing out on support. Half of carers in Scotland (51%) surveyed said missing out on support as a result of not identifying as a carer impacted negatively on their finances and a similar number (50%) said it had an impact on their physical health.
Gavin Newlands MP said: “Carers Rights Day is a great opportunity for everyone to raise awareness of support and advice available to carers of all ages and circumstances. However, politicians have a responsibility to help carers every day not just on Carers Rights Day. One of the ways that I do this is by holding a monthly surgery at the Carers Centre.
“Renfrewshire Carers Centre are a great example of a local organisation offering essential support to carers and I was glad to meet with the staff and hear about their experiences during my monthly surgery. The Centre provides information about the financial and practical help carers are entitled to, support to young carers, respite and access to equipment and technology which can help them in their caring role, and I know how important this lifeline service is to many of my constituents.
“But it is only right that we support carers every day of the year, not just on Carers Rights Day. The study published by Carers UK shows that caring takes its toll on many, and we need to ensure that carers receive the support that they deserve.”