Here at GCU we recognise and celebrate the positive contribution that carers make to our society and the value they bring to the workplace. We understand that carers face additional challenges and barriers to accessing education and employment and are working towards creating a whole-institutional approach that recognises and supports our staff and student carers.
What is a carer? The Carers (Scotland) Act (2016) defines a carer as an individual who provides or intends to provide care for another individual.
An unpaid carer could be looking after a family member, friend or neighbour who needs help. They might have an illness, disability, physical or mental health problem, or addiction.
Many people do not recognise themselves as carers.
You do not have to be related to, or live with, the person to be a carer. You do not need to be registered as a carer or be eligible for Carer's Allowance. You do not need to be carrying out a substantial amount of care on a regular basis or be the sole carer. Some people will care for more than one person or some people may share their caring role with other friends or family members.
What carers do
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There are many ways you might care for someone else, which include:
Practical tasks – like cooking, housework and shopping Physical support – like lifting, helping someone on stairs, or with physiotherapy Personal care – like washing, dressing and helping with toileting needs Managing the household budget and collecting benefits and prescriptions Giving medication Emotional support Making sure the rights of the person you care for are being met. This could take up some or all of your time and involve:
Visiting a relative who lives far away once a month Arranging hospital appointments for someone Dropping in daily to a nearby disabled friend to give them a meal and company Moving in with a relative to help them get better after an operation Being there to provide 24-hour constant care for a partner Continuing to provide support to someone who has moved into residential care, such as visiting regularly, bringing clothing, helping with laundry, and so on.
Paid and voluntary work
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You're not considered a carer if the care being provided is part of a contract of employment or through voluntary work.
Parents and kinship carers
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You are not considered a carer if you are a parent of dependent children unless you care for a child with additional care and support needs. The child does not have to meet the definition of disabled and parents may be considered carers if the child is in the process of obtaining a formal diagnosis.
Kinship carers are considered on the same footing as parents.
Foster carers
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The majority of foster carers are self-employed and are entitled to a fee for the care they provide. The University can offer support to those caring for young people with additional support needs.
Support for carers at GCU
Support for staff carers
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Staff carers are being invited to join the GCU Staff Carers Network.
The Staff Carers Network was formed following interest from staff carers during Carers Week in June , when the University hosted a series of events and activities. It has already had some initial discussions to establish a remit and an outline of themes for meetings over the next year.
Act as a safe and confidential space for staff carers to share experiences and provide mutual support and advice Signpost staff carers to relevant information, events and organisations Be a platform for socialising to build and maintain a spirit of camaraderie Provide a voice for staff carers to inform University policy and practice. The network meets every two weeks on MS Teams, with meetings alternating between a focus on a specific topic or theme, and a more informal, social gathering. The University recognises that staff may have wide and varied caring responsibilities outside of work and may have to balance these with the demands of their GCU role, so the network is a key part of our commitment as a Carer Positive ‘Engaged’ employer to ensure that staff carers at GCU are supported and valued. a.lui@gcu.ac.uk .
Support for student carers
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GCU works in partnership with Carers Trust Scotland which has helped us to understand the challenges experienced by student carers. We are proud to have achieved the Going Higher for Student Carers Award, which recognises the work we do to support student carers.
If you are a carer considering applying to the University or you are already registered as a student, please get in touch by emailing StudentCarers@gcu.ac.uk . Your email will be picked up by one of our student wellbeing advisers who work closely with student carers and can provide you with more information about the support available. If you are unsure whether you are a carer, please get in touch and we can discuss your individual circumstances and help you to access support.
The student wellbeing advisers are based in the Student Wellbeing Service and can help you to make links with the other teams within the service if required. The Student Wellbeing Service will not share any information about you or your engagement with our service without your permission.
The University has a Student Carer Policy that details the rights and responsibilities of students, staff and the university in relation to student carers.
The GCU Student Wellbeing Team has also produced a leaflet outlining support for student carers at GCU. You can also find out more about the experiences of our student carers, at our Student Carers Stories webpage .
What support can GCU offer?
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Our student wellbeing advisers can assist both prospective students and applicants, as well as current students, and can support you in a range of ways.
Applicants are advised to get in touch early so that they can find out about pre-entry support and opportunities to apply for scholarships.
We can provide practical and emotional support to student carers throughout their time at GCU. Students can contact us at any time or can also discuss setting up a more regular wellbeing check-in with individual students and Student Wellbeing Advisers. We would also recommend signing up for the Student Wellbeing Newsletter.
The Student Wellbeing Advisers can offer advice, signposting and referrals to other services and resources within GCU and externally. Please visit the Student Wellbeing webpages to find out more about the support and resources available.
We can help you to create a carers' plan . This document will formally verify that you are a carer and provide a way of communicating with your department about how your caring role might impact your studies. The Student Carer Plan also provides an opportunity to request flexibility to help you balance your caring role with your studies.
Some examples of flexibility that may be offered are:
Recognising the need to arrive late or leave early to place your cared-for person(s) in appropriate daytime care Agreeing periods of authorised absence and making arrangements for you to catch up on lectures/tutorials missed for reasons relating to caring responsibilities to ensure that you are not at an academic disadvantage Requesting advance notice of timetables where possible to allow you to make necessary alternative care arrangements and recognising that you may not be able to attend academic activities in the event of late changes to timetables Ensuring that you have adequate opportunity to make up missed time such as through access to any missed materials, or rescheduling of practical activities Taking account of caring responsibilities on courses that require an external placement. If viable, consideration of a transfer to part-time study (Please note that international students in the UK with a Tier 4 General Student Visa are not permitted to change to part-time study) The process of getting a Student Carer Plan is:
Email studentcarers@gcu.ac.uk to request a meeting. You will be invited to a confidential one-to-one meeting to discuss your caring role and how this impacts you at university. You will also be advised about other supports available at GCU and from external providers. We will draft a Student Carer Plan and send it to you to check over before anything is shared with your department. Any information given will be shared with your consent; this will only provide information about the impact on your learning and engagement with the University and advise what the department could do to support you. The Carer Plan is then shared with your personal tutor/year leader who will advise what they are able to do to accommodate your needs. Please be aware that academic departments may be limited in what flexibility they are able to offer, for example, you still have to meet the learning requirements of the course/professional bodies that oversee your course. Carer Plans should be updated every academic year and will be due for review in August. You can update your Carer Plan at any time if your circumstances change. We are also happy to support students to participate in activism to raise the visibility of student carers and help you to have your voice heard. Please get in touch if this is something you would be interested in getting involved with.
Student Carer Process (Information for Staff)
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Student carers will be invited to a one-to-one meeting with a Student Wellbeing Adviser (SWA) to discuss their caring role and find out about support available at University and externally.
Brief details of the caring role will be documented in a Student Carer Plan to make the department aware of the impact this is likely to have on the student’s engagement with their studies along with requests for flexibility.
Once the student consents to the plan being shared, the plan will be shared with the responsible person from the department either by email or on MS Teams (this is generally the Level Coordinator or Programme Leader).
Plans shared by email will be password-protected with the student’s ID.
Some programmes have an MS Teams site to store Carer Plans. These can be found under Files_2023/24_To be reviewed and shared.
The SWA will post a message and tag the responsible person to notify them of a new plan being shared (this is generally the Level Coordinator or Programme Leader). Completed plans should be moved to the ‘completed’ folder.
The plan should be reviewed, signed and dated, and requests shared with the appropriate staff (depending on the details in the plan, this may be personal tutor/placement team/module leaders/class facilitators).
There is space on the plan for the department to show if they agree to the requests and add comments/guidance for the student.
Once this process is complete, the SWA should be notified so that they can mark the process complete and share information with the student.
Carer Plans will be reviewed in August, or sooner if the student’s circumstances change.
Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about the process or about individual students, or if there are requests that can’t be accommodated.
GCU Students' Association Student Carers Network
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At GCU Students' Association there is a representation network for student carers. The Student Carers' Network exists to represent the interests of all student carers studying at GCU.
The Student Carers Officer with GCU and GCU Students' Associations to enhance the student experience of students with caring responsibilities.
You can contact them at SCOfficer@GCUStudents.co.uk and find out more by joining the group at GCU Students' Association.
The GCU Student Carers Group also have a Facebook page you can join which you can find by searching @gcustudentcarers
GCU carers and the Common Good Award
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At GCU, we recognise the incredible contribution that unpaid carers make to individuals and society. We believe that the role of a carer supports the development of skills and attributes that are valued within communities.
Therefore, we recognise and reward this informal learning through The Common Good Award . To find out more about this award, please email cgaward@gcu.ac.uk with your name and student number and someone will get back to you with more information about how to sign up.
Student carers support on the Common Good Podcast
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Our student wellbeing adviser and institution lead and contact for student carers spoke on the Common Good Podcast about the support available for student carers at GCU. This is available on Soundcloud and Spotify , and through our Student Carers Podcast Transcript
Funding for student carers
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SAAS have created this document specifically for student carers to advise on what funding might be available to you.
You can also speak to our Student Funding Team who can advise on what funds could be accessible for you.
Some student carers may be able to claim Carer's Allowance. See the section on ‘Who can claim Carer's Allowance’ on this helpful Carers UK factsheet .
There is a Young Carer Grant from the Scottish Government - Young Carer Grant is a yearly payment for young carers in Scotland aged 16, 17 or 18 years old.
Events for student carers
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Glasgow Caledonian University host a number of events for our student and staff carers throughout the academic year. Every year, we celebrate
The GCU Wellbeing Team also offer a range of different groups and workshops to students and staff at Glasgow Caledonian University to enhance their mental health and wellbeing. Find out more at our Webinars and Online events webpage
Hearing your experiences Throughout the year the Student Wellbeing Service work both across the University and with external partners to gather the experiences of student carers to gain a better understanding of your needs while at University. Please see below for ongoing research projects and outcomes from previous research projects.
Some of our student carers have shared their stories on what it is like for them to be a student carer at GCU. Check out some of their stories below:
External support
Access to Childminding (A2C) Service
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Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) has received funding from the Scottish Government to pilot a funded childcare service in five local authority areas – City of Edinburgh; Dumfries and Galloway; Fife; Midlothian and North Lanarkshire. The service provides funded childcare for school-aged children for between 12 and 16 weeks for approximately 15 to 20 hours per week. The service is divided into two strands.
About to move from unemployment into employment Struggling to maintain a job, maybe due to reduced hours Trying to increase your working hours but additional childcare costs are a barrier Struggling with childcare costs due to being a student and may have to give up your course If this could describe you and you live in one of the five pilot areas listed above and you fit into one of the categories below you may qualify for 12-16 weeks childcare for up to 20hrs per week:
Lone parents Large families (three or more children) Families with a child with additional support needs Minority ethnic families Families where the Mother/main carer is under 25 years of age Respite If you are a family with a child with additional support needs you may be able to access respite and we would be happy to discuss your individual needs.
Criteria for childminders delivering the service: Professional childminders deliver the service and have to meet specific criteria:
A minimum of Grade 4 across all areas inspected by the Care Inspectorate. An up-to-date First Aid Certificate. An up-to-date Child Protection Certificate. A Food Hygiene Certificate. Have adequate Public Liability Insurance in place. Attend training session with SCMA. SCMA will carry out all necessary quality checks on the childminders prior to any placements being made. We will have a contract with the childminder for the duration of the placement and payment for the service will be made directly to the childminders.A2C@childminding.org www.childminding.org
Online module for Scottish universities supports student carers
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Carers Trust Scotland and The Open University in Scotland have joined forces to help improve support to thousands of student carers in Scotland, who are studying alongside providing unpaid care for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.
Carer Aware is a new online training module that has been developed by Carers Trust Scotland and The Open University in Scotland with funding from The Scottish Funding Council. The module will help university staff to better understand the challenges faced by many student carers and provides guidance on how to improve support for these students at University.
Helpful guides
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HOPE has created this fantastic guide for students who are supporting ill or disabled family members. It is written by young people and offers tips for students in similar situations.
The Open University offers these free online modules for carers and for managers supporting carers in employment.
Carers Trust Scotland
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Carers Trust Scotland is the largest provider of carers support services in Scotland. GCU has been working in partnership with Carers Trust Scotland for the past few years to help us work towards the Going Higher Award and ensure we are doing our best to support student carers.
Find out more about the Going Higher Award that GCU achieved in 2017 and what we must continue to do to ensure good practice.
Find out how you can support the Carers Trust’s work to support student carers in Scotland – this includes useful information about how students and campaigners can get involved.
To find out more about what they do, please visit the Carers Trust Scotland webpage.
Carers Scotland
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Carers Scotland can help by giving advice, information and support. The Carers Scotland webpages are a great resource for information.
Mind
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Mind work to ensure people look after their mental health. They have local carer support groups that can be a huge help for people. Visit the Mind webpages for up-to-date information.
Glasgow Association for Mental Health
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Glasgow Association for Mental Health (GAMH) work to promote the mental health and wellbeing of carers in Glasgow. Their Carers Support Project allows carers access to support workers located in centres across the city.
Carer Services
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Carers UK and the Carers Trust have directories that can help you find out what services are available in your area.
Here are some examples of carer support services. We will continue adding to this section – please let us know if you would like to see a particular service listed here.
Carers of West Dunbartonshire Carers of West Dunbartonshire provide a number of resources to support carers. Support includes advocacy work, emotional and financial support, learning opportunities and more . There is also a Carers of West Dunbartonshire introduction booklet which outlines the support offered available.
One of GCU's Wellbeing Advisors, Christina Kelly, participated in an interview with the Carers of West Dunbartonshire. To find out more you can view the interview online .
Glasgow East End Community Carers Working in partnership with others, Glasgow East End Community Carers empower carers by providing them with support and resources to improve their quality of life and develop the skills necessary to become more confident in their caring role.
North Lanarkshire Carers Together North Lanarkshire Carers Together aims to make a positive difference to the lives of carers in North Lanarkshire through the provision of information alongside our carer representation and campaigning work.
Lanarkshire Carers Lanarkshire Carers is a resource for carers across Lanarkshire to access information, advice and a range of direct support services. Working with and for carers, Lanarkshire Carers has a highly skilled and experienced team. They have centres in both Hamilton and Airdrie, supplemented by Carer Support Workers who operate from within locality social work teams and outreach venues across Lanarkshire.
Which? Elderly Care
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Which? Elderly Care is a source of free and independent information and advice on care choices for older people across the UK.
It's a not-for-profit branch of Which? and will always be completely free to use.
Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership
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Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership provide a range of community health and social care services for children, adults and older people within Glasgow City.
Some services cover the entire NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Board area. The services are either directly provided by the Partnership or purchased by the Partnership from another provider/contractor of community health and social care services.
You can find more information on how to get:
There is also information for carers on the Glasgow website or the carer's area of Your Support Your Way Glasgow.
The National Wellbeing Hub
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The National Wellbeing Hub for the health and social care workforce has been launched. This includes resources for unpaid carers. This is a ‘front door’ to the wide range of support and wellbeing resources available in Scotland.
Housing Options Scotland
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Housing Options Scotland can offer excellent support in this are for those looking to secure appropriate, secure housing (aimed at disabled people, older people and veterans).
Young Scot: Young Carers Package, Carer's Allowance and the Young Carer Grant
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Find out how to apply for the Young Carers Package, Carer's Allowance and the Young Carer Grant. Hear stories from other young people on their experience of being a carer and get loads of info on caring for someone.
Aye Feel
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Find information about how to look after your emotional wellbeing, support from organisations around Scotland and tips on how to promote a positive mindset at Young Scot's Aye Feel webpages .
Check out the #AyeFeel tag on social media for the latest updates.
Shared Care Scotland
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Information for carers using NHS services
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the NHS have dedicated online resources with information for carers using NHS Services.
Lanarkshire Carers: Wellbeing Library
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Lanarkshire Carers has created an online Wellbeing Library with self-care videos. These short videos are designed to give you a short break away from your caring role and to help you cope better with life as a carer.
These are particularly helpful when you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Make sure you take the time to look after yourself.
