Overview of the work
Shared Care Scotland is undertaking a new piece of work: the 'State of the Sector' project. It will draw together existing evidence, identify where the gaps in our knowledge lie, test emerging findings with people across the sector, and set out practical, realistic recommendations to support both national and local improvement.
Why is this work important?
The introduction of the Right to a Break is one of the most significant developments for short breaks in Scotland in years. However, turning that right into something unpaid carers can actually rely on depends on a clearer, shared understanding of where things stand today. This includes what provision looks like across the country, where the pressures are greatest, and what needs to happen for implementation to succeed.
We recognise that conversation across the sector feels stuck. The scale of the challenges facing short breaks is real, and it's understandable that the default narrative becomes one of a system under strain - too complex, too pressured, and too big to fix. Those concerns matter and shouldn't be dismissed, but if the conversation stops there, it can leave us focused only on what can't be done.
We want this work to help shift that conversation, and we want to move towards something more constructive. We understand the problems, we know where we want to get to, and we can identify practical steps that move us closer to that ambition now. That means paying attention not just to gaps and pressures, but to the knowledge, relationships and resources that already exist across Scotland - and building on them.
Why Shared Care Scotland?
We are well placed to lead this work, as we believe our unique position between carers, providers, the third sector, local partnerships and national government is a strength, enabling us to take a balanced and pragmatic perspective. We'll take a transparent, proportionate and collaborative approach throughout, building on previous work such as our 2024 short breaks experiences survey. This work contributes to our mission to improve the quality, choice and availability of short breaks and respite care across Scotland​, and aims to support the successful implementation of the Right to a Break.
Keep up to date
Through this webpage, our monthly ebulletin, and social media, we'll keep you updated on the progress of this project. There will be opportunities to get involved as the work develops, so keep an eye on this page and subscribe to our ebulletin to get all the latest updates.
Get in touch
If you have any questions, or are interested in contributing, please contact our CEO, Kate Hogarth at kate.hogarth@sharedcarescotland.com.