An Aberdeen father is spreading the word about the challenges facing unpaid carers in Scotland and the potential impact of Brexit upon them.
Colin Rawlinson has experienced serious difficulties finding support for his autistic daughter, describing his family’s situation as “very challenging”.
Over the past seven years, he has relied upon a number of different carers, most of them EU citizens from outwith the UK.
Now, with Brexit hanging over the continent, Mr Rawlinson says many of those who would once have taken on the role are now leaving the country, such are their fears of being kicked-out.
He said: “We used to get an influx of people offering their services, but now we are struggling.
“In the last three months I have found no-one will to take on my daughter’s care.
“She was so desperate for a carer that she asked if she could go and appeal to people in the street for help. We went out together and handed out flyers.”
He and his daughter have now spent several hours distributing leaflets in coffee shops, churches, libraries and even at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Mr Rawlinson, 67, explained he doesn’t use council provided services due to a negative experience with an organisation recommended to his family by the authority.
He said: “My daughter’s mother did previously go to the council and ask them to help, but the experience was a shambles.
“The organisation they recommended sent out 27 different carers over just six months.
“This was confusing for my daughter. She had huge problems coping with that amount of people.”
He has urged the local authority as well as the Scottish Government to take further action to support unpaid carers, such as he and his wife, while they search to employ a carer to take care of their eldest daughter during the day.
In April of this year, the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 came into force, in a bid to improve support and recognition for unpaid carers.
But many, including Mr Rawlinson, feel they have still fallen off the radar.
He added: “Due to the difficulty in finding carers during holiday times, I am having to work up to seven days a week as my daughter’s unpaid carer – like many other parents.
“We have some interviews lined-up thanks to distributing leaflets all last week.
“It feels like parents who act as carers don’t always have a voice and something needs to be done to ensure they get more support.”
An Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership spokesman said: “We can direct people to a wide range of commissioned providers of paid-for care and we would encourage anyone experiencing difficulties in finding care to contact us to explore the current options.
“In terms of unpaid care, we published a detailed strategy earlier this year which lays out unpaid carers’ rights and the ways in which they can be supported under the terms of the new Carers Act which came into force in April this year.”
‘With Brexit looming it is becoming even more difficult to find paid carers’
There are an estimated 788,000 unpaid carers in Scotland, including 44,000 who are under 18 and the value of the care they provide is estimated at over £10 billion a year.
In a bid to unite others in the same situation across Scotland, Mr Rawlinson recently launched the mobile phone app Chatterbox.
The app includes a livestream video chat option that enables unpaid carers to engage with each other and discuss the best ways to find work.
He said: “Chatterbox enables carers, as well as those they care for, to tell their story in a livestream video and connect with potential employers and social media friends.
“They can also get paid to chat and raise funds for a good cause.
“With Brexit looming it is becoming even more difficult to find paid carers and this will mean that more people in Scotland might have to give up their work or find part time or home based opportunities so that they can care for their loved ones.
“A large number of men and women in Scotland might have to give up work to look after ageing parents and those with disabilities unless EU care workers are given priority after Brexit.
“This will have a significant impact on the Scottish economy as key workers are removed from the workforce to become unpaid carers.”
To download the app, visit www.chatterboxlivestream.com.
