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Carers in Fife

  • Fife Voluntary Action works with partners across Fife to support carers. As part of this, we manage two small grants schemes which award funding to carers to enable them to take a short break from their caring responsibilities. We also support Volunteer Carer Representatives at locality planning level across Fife.


    This page consists of two main sections:
    Creative Breaks - small grants for carers
    Time For Me - small grants for young carers
    Supporting Carer Representatives in Fife


    Creative Breaks

    • Are you a carer in need of a break?
    • Do you live in Fife?

    Or:
     • Are you a young carer (caring for children or adults)?

    Unpaid carers in Fife can get up to £500 to help them get a break from their caring commitments.

    What is the definition of an 'adult carer'?
    An adult carer is defined as a person who provides for another person - but not: (i) if this is only because of that person's age (where they are under 18); or (ii) if you are caring because you have a contract or as voluntary work. A carer can be caring for someone for any number of hours and does not need to be providing a substantial amount of care for someone on a regular basis.
    Source: Carer's Charter, Scottish Government (March 2018)

    What is the definition of a 'young carer'?
    A 'young carer' is a carer (as defined above) who is: (i) under the age of 18; or (ii) 18 or over, but still attending school.
    Source: Carer's Charter, Scottish Government (March 2018)

    The Creative Breaks Fund has been run for a number of years by Fife Voluntary Action, in partnership with Fife Carers Centre, Crossroads and Fife Young Carers. It is aimed at unpaid carers in Fife. The Scottish Government's Time to Live Fund provides funding through Shared Care Scotland to support carers in their highly valued role to enable them to take a short break from their caring responsibilities.

    Carers can decide themselves what would provide that ’break’ - be it a straightforward holiday somewhere special; driving lessons to support them getting out and about or the technology to help them keep in touch with relatives and friends - whatever works for the carer.

    Do you need some time to yourself, or time with the person you care for where you have the chance to break out of your normal routine?
    Is your caring role affecting your ability to enjoy life?
    Are you experiencing stress that is influencing your own mental wellbeing?
    Is your caring role fragile and at risk of collapse?
    Then you are eligible for Creative Breaks funding of up to £500.

    The funding can be used to help with a range of costs associated with short breaks, including
    technology, driving lessons, courses, transport, accommodation, leisure activities and supported holidays.

    Decide for yourself what kind of break would suit you and your individual needs and then complete an application form and return it to us for consideration.

    Downloads
    You can download the following from this website:
    Guidance Notes (PDF file)
    Application Form (PDF file)
    Data Protection Privacy Notice (PDF file)

    You can apply at any time, however this Fund is on a rolling programme and is currently scheduled to end in March 2023. Priority will be given to unpaid carers new to this grant programme, to caring relationships under strain, and those carers whose wellbeing and health would benefit from a break.

    If you have any problems downloading the form or have any initial queries regarding the Time to Live Funding, please contact us at [email protected] or on 0800 389 6046.

    You can also talk to:
    Fife Carers Centre - 01592 205472
    Fife Young Carers - 01592 786717
    Crossroads - 01592 610540

    Important: carers must not have received funding in the last 12 months through any Time to Live grant programmes, or have a live application to the Take a Break scheme.

    How can I find out about short breaks?
    Shared Care Scotland has a national directory of short breaks. This can help with ideas and demonstrating the different options that exist for Carers.

    About Time To Live Funding
    The Scottish Government has made the Creative Breaks Fund available to help support and sustain carers (including young carers and kinship carers) through enabling better access to short breaks or respite care. The Fund will be used to help develop existing, new and innovative models of short breaks which will help to support current and future provision of short breaks and respite care. The funding is designed to support a 'preventative' approach to short break provision, recognising the importance of planned breaks in promoting good health and wellbeing for carers and those they care for.

    Time to Live Funding has the following aims:
    • Carers and those they care for will have improved physical and emotional wellbeing;
    • Carers will have more opportunity to live a life outside of caring;
    • Carers will be better able to keep going with their caring roles;
    • Carers with little support will have more opportunity to access breaks.

    The funding can help with a range of costs associated with short breaks, including transport, accommodation, leisure activities and supported holidays. Applications can be for amounts up to £500.




    Time for Me logo

    Time for Me

    • Are you a Young Carer (as defined in the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016)) in need of a break?
    • Do you live in Fife?
    • Are you caring for someone who resides in Fife?

    You will need an appropriate professional to support your application and will need a Young Carers Statement in place which includes a break from caring as one of their personal outcomes. If you need help with these please contact:
    Fife Young Carers - 01592 786717
    Fife Carers Centre - 01592 205472

    The Time for Me fund is a discretionary fund of Fife Council. Fife Council allocates a sum to the fund annually which is administered by Fife Voluntary Action. Anonymised applications are submitted to a panel, drawn from a range of groups in Fife connected with supporting young carers. Grants are awarded on a priority basis until the fund is exhausted each year. The panel may offer all or part of the grant applied for and may suggest alternative ways that the young carer could achieve the same or similar break outcomes.

    The aim of the fund is specifically to help young carers to access short break opportunities so that they are better able to balance their caring role with their other personal priorities.

    The ambition of the fund is to:
    • Help Young Carers live a positive life alongside their caring role;
    • Help Young Carers to refresh and recharge their batteries so that they can sustain and continue their caring role;
    • Help Young Carers to lead a life they want to and have the same opportunities as their non-carer peers.

    Priority will be given to Young Carers who have not received a break from their caring role through the fund in the last 2 years and who have not benefitted from other funding to support their break from caring.

    Downloads
    You can download the following from this website:
    Time for Me Guidance Notes (PDF file)
    Time for Me Application Form (PDF file)
    Data Protection Privacy Notice (PDF file)

    If you have any problems downloading the form or have any initial queries regarding the Time for Me Funding, please contact us at [email protected] or call 0800 389 6046.


    Health and Social Care - Volunteer Locality Carer Representatives

    April 2016 triggered one of the biggest transformations of health and social care services in Scotland: to have health and social care services delivered jointly, locally and as effectively as possible. Across Scotland, Health and Social Care Partnerships have been set up to meet these aims and to support people to live healthy, independent lives. Putting the needs of people and communities first will bring together GPs, hospitals, health workers, social care staff, third and independent care providers, and will share information to help plan and deliver services.

    A significant part of Fife Health & Social Care Integration is the creation of Localities, bringing decision making and planning about Health and Social Care priorities closer to the communities they serve. Seven Health and Social Care Locality Planning groups have been coming together since then to develop seven plans which, since 2019, have included Volunteer Locality Carers Representatives supported by Fife Voluntary Action. Their contributions are highly valued by the groups and working with closely with Fife Carers Centre and Morna Fleming (the Carer Representative on the Fife Health and Social Care Integrated Joint Board) the Volunteer Carer Representatives and Fife Voluntary Action are planning to expand engagement with Carers in Fife to grow their voice within Locality Planning. See figure here

    The seven locality areas in Fife are:
      • Cowdenbeath (includes Lochgelly, Kelty and Cardenden)
      • City of Dunfermline
      • Glenrothes (includes Thornton, Kinglassie and Leslie)
      • Kirkcaldy (includes Burntisland and Kinghorn)
      • Levenmouth (includes West Wemyss, Buckhaven, Methil, Methilhill, Kennoway and Leven)
      • North East Fife (takes in Auchtermuchty, Cupar, Taybridgehead, St Andrews, Crail and Anstruther)
      • South West Fife (includes Inverkeithing, Dalgety Bay, Rosyth, Kincardine, Oakley and Saline).

    The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 recognised the vital importance of carers in Scotland and in April 2018 a new duty came into effect putting more emphasis on helping carers to help themselves to thrive and live fulfilled and active lives alongside their caring role. The Scottish Government has also published a Carers' Charter which explains the rights an adult carer or young carer in Scotland now have. Fife Health and Social Care Partnership has refreshed the Carers' Strategy for Fife and a separate strategy for young carers, who are under the age of 18 - Getting it Right for Young Carers.

    The experience and knowledge of people, including carers, who use services and staff working in the localities is core to the success of locality Planning in Fife.

    Interested in getting involved? To find out more contact [email protected]

This page was last updated on 13 January 2023.
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