In October 2015, VOCAL invited over 7,000 carers to provide information on the impact caring has on their lives. 940 carer responded in the third and largest survey of it’s kind.

We asked cares to rate the quality of support they had received from VOCAL. 94% of respondents in Edinburgh and 82% in Midlothian rate VOCAL’s overall response as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.

Important findings on the impact and trends of caring include:

• A growing number of carers report they are caring for more than one person (EH 17%; Mid 13%)
• Around half of carers report confirm that caring has affected their finances (EH: 47%; Mid 51%)
• 36% (EH) and 24% (Mid) report they had to reduce or give up paid work to care
• Lack of time is the main barrier to ‘a life alongside caring’ for 20% of respondents in both local authorities, due to being ‘always on call’.
• Accessing benefits and allowances scored highest in a list of important issue for carers (EH 58%; Mid 59%), followed by planning financially for the future’ (EH 48%) and by reducing energy and utility bills (Mid 52%)
• Responding to questions what support and services VOCAL should develop for the future, most carers listed more opportunities for breaks from caring (EH 41%; Mid 50%), followed by services with a focus on physical and emotional health (EH 40%; Mid 39%).

Read the full Edinburgh and Midlothian carer survey reports here.