JENNY GILRUTH MSP MARKS CARERS WEEK 2018

Published date : 11 Jun 2018

JENNY GILRUTH MSP MARKS CARERS WEEK 2018

MSP for Mid Fife and Glenrothes, Jenny Gilruth, has pledged her backing for Carers Week 2018 which begins today, by committing to support local carers across the region.

Jenny Gilruth has signed up to the Carers Week pledge to take carer friendly action – highlighting the tireless work of the 6.5 million unpaid carers across the UK and offering them any support they need. There are an estimated 788,000 unpaid carers across Scotland – with 29,000 of them under the age of 18.

The Fife MSP is a longstanding advocate of increased support for carers, working closely with local groups such as Fife Young Carers and recently becoming one of Holyrood’s first Carer Positive accredited employers.

Carer Positive is a Scottish Government funded initiative, launched in June 2014 and operated by Carers Scotland. It aims to raise awareness of the growing number of carers in the workforce and to award recognition to those employers with good practice in supporting their employees.

There are around 760,000 unpaid carers in Scotland, 270,000 of which are juggling their carer responsibilities with work – this equates to as many as 1 in 8 of the workforce.

With over 100 employers in Scotland now recognised as Carer Positive, Jenny Gilruth MSP, who is also a Living Wage accredited employer, has urged Parliamentary colleagues and local businesses in her constituency to come forward and join the initiative.

Commenting ahead of Carers Week 2018, Ms Gilruth said:

“Carers Week gives us all the chance to show our support and appreciation for the work carers do in our local communities – and I am committed to playing a positive role in this inspiring annual event.

“I was delighted to support the Carer Positive initiative and become an accredited employer. I felt it important to lead by example.

“I am urging organisations in Mid Fife and Glenrothes to come forward and become recognised too. To date around a third of those accredited have been small businesses, demonstrating that regardless of an employer’s size they can achieve Carer Positive status.

“Any local businesses that are interested in becoming Carer Positive can contact the organisation directly or speak to myself.”

ENDS

NOTES: Attached picture of Jenny Gilruth MSP and Sue McLintock of Carers Scotland with a Carer Positive certificate of accreditation.

Carers Week website: https://www.carersweek.org/

More information about the initiative can be found here: http://www.carerpositive.org/about/

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