VOCAL supports unpaid carers in Edinburgh and Midlothian in all caring situations and relationships, to help identify the issues affecting them and achieve the best possible outcome for carers.
This page provides information for Unpaid Carers, Professionals working with Unpaid Carers, and referral and contact details for Vocal – applicable to Edinburgh and Midlothian.
Who is an Unpaid Carer?
An individual who provides or intends to provide care for another individual
The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016
An unpaid carer is anyone supporting a family member, partner, relative or friend, of any age, with help to manage a long-term condition, disability, physical or mental health condition or drug and alcohol use.
A caring role could be as simple as getting someone their shopping once a week, taking them to medical appointments or you could be responsible for all their everyday needs.
You can’t always tell if someone is a carer but those providing care and support to family members and friends need support too. A carer may see themselves as a doing what any wife, husband, partner, son, daughter, parent, relative or friend would do.
Facts: Unpaid Carers…
- Don’t have to live with the person they care for.
- Can be providing lots of different types of support such as help with shopping, finances, domestic tasks, emotional support, personal care, or supporting someone following a stay in hospital.
- Can continue to provide care for someone when they enter a Care Home or receive support from professional services.
- Can balance unpaid care with paid employment.
- Have legal rights.
Unpaid Carers and Care Homes
If you have been supporting someone who then moves to a Care Home, your caring role is likely to change, but you do not necessarily stop being a carer.
You may still spend time visiting the person you care for in their Care Home, help with decisions around their care and provide emotional support.
Information for Carers
VOCAL’s Carer Support Team
VOCAL’s carer support team works individually with carers to identify a plan of support which can include:
Access to information, advice and guidance
Peer support and mentoring
Welfare rights, income maximisation and access to grants
Legal Surgeries for wills, power of attorney and guardianship
Counselling
Carer activities, training and events
Access to Breaks
Complementary therapies and self-care activities
Feedback from carers
The Edinburgh Carers Survey in 2023 provided the following feedback from carers on the support they received VOCAL:
“Lots of help with finance, spend time with other people / let you feel you are not alone with your problem.”
“They stepped up when I was completely drained financially emotionally and physically. They helped me in every way to put my life back together and still help me to keep it that way. I am eternally grateful to them.”
Carer Training Events
A range of courses, events and activities are available for carers. Whether you want information, education, support or just a “time-out” there is a huge range of topics to choose from, these include:
- Money and benefits
- Understanding illnesses, disabilities or conditions like dementia or autism
- Focusing on your own wellbeing
- Practical skills such as moving and handling
- Planning for the future or emergencies
- Household adaptations and equipment
- Peer support groups for specific caring roles, such as parent carers or working carers
All courses, events and activities for carers living or caring for someone in Edinburgh or Midlothian are free of charge and are provided by Vocal and a number of other training providers.
Please see the Training and Activities section of the VOCAL website for full details.
Additional Services
Affordable mobility equipment
Are you looking for mobility aids to support your caring role, and help the person you care for to be more independent?
Treasure Tree is VOCAL’s shop and social enterprise where you can buy scooters, wheelchairs, hoists and more at discounted rates. These are second-hand items donated by other unpaid carers who want to help promote independence, safety and quality of life for carers and the people you care for.
Breaks for Carers
VOCAL Wee Breaks service supports and encourages unpaid carers to take regular planned breaks from their caring role.
Visit the Wee Breaks service section on the VOCAL website for more details.
Resources
VOCAL provides a wealth of useful information for carers from practical help to emotional and supportive support.
Please view the VOCAL Resources webpage for more details.
The VOCAL pack was excellent. I used the information to determine what I needed to do and just got on with it!
Support and Information for Professionals Working with Unpaid Carers
How to Identify an Unpaid Carer
3 in 5 people will have caring responsibilities at some point in their lives. Most of us will have at least some experience of caring whether that’s as a carer or knowing someone who is.
Many people in caring roles do not recognise themselves as a carer. It is often the case that carers will see themselves as acting in the role defined by their relationship with the person they are caring for.
Self-identification can be challenging as many carers see their relationship with the person they care for as one of being a parent, child, neighbour, friend or partner and don’t recognise ‘carer’ as a term they would identify with.
Healthcare professionals are well placed to help in the identification of carers. Carers can often be recognised as the person:
- Visiting the resident/patient regularly
- Bringing food to visits
- Who is talked about most by the resident/patient
- Supporting them to attend appointments
- Picking up prescriptions
Even if a carer does not see themselves this way, and does not want to be called a carer, they can still access vital help, advice, and information.
Identifying as a carer can be a long and emotional journey, and it can be even more difficult for carers to then recognise they need support. Professionals can help identify and (with the carer’s consent) refer unpaid carers to VOCAL as carers often don’t feel seen.
Working with Carers
Carers have a unique role in the life of the person they care for. They have valuable knowledge which can contribute to the care and treatment of the person they care for.
There are many ways you can include a carer in health care support, you can ask:
- How are you getting on?
- Do you have enough information or any questions?
- What would help you?
- What times work best for appointments?
Working with carers can bring many mutual benefits including:
- Better outcomes for carers and the people they care for
- Reduced stress and some of the impact of caring for carers
- Enables carers to continue for ad long as they wish
By involving carers in planning and decisions about the person they care for, everyone can benefit. Every conversation you have with a carer can make a difference.
Education – Free Training for Professionals
VOCAL works in partnership with professionals from all backgrounds to support unpaid carers in Edinburgh and Midlothian.
If you would like someone from VOCAL to visit you to talk about carer identification, carer issues, carer support, and partnership with VOCAL, please contact thinkcarer@vocal.org.uk
VOCAL also deliver fortnightly open training sessions for professionals to attend – you can arrange a bespoke session for your team or access the open sessions via Practitioner training – VOCAL.
Resources
Explore a range of tools and information designed to support professionals working with unpaid carers.
Please view the VOCAL Resources webpage for more details.
Referrals
VOCAL welcomes referrals directly from carers themselves, or from family members or professionals working with carers (with the carers’ consent).
To make a referral for yourself or somone else please complete our secure online referral form or contact VOCAL directly (see contact details).
If referring someone else, please ensure that the carer is fully aware that you are making the referral and to whom.
To make a referral you will need to give some details, including:
- Name of the carer
- Address of the carer
- Contact details (phone/email) of the carer
- Some information about their caring situation.
Following referral or self-referral all carers will receive a comprehensive information pack and an initial phone call to explore their personal situation. The carer will then be allocated to the most appropriate practitioner who will provide one to one support over the phone, at home or in the community depending on the carer’s needs or preference.
Contact Details & Social Media
Edinburgh
Edinburgh Carers’ Hub
60 Leith Walk
EDINBURGH
EH6 5HB
Telephone: Freephone 0808 196 6666
Email: centre@vocal.org.uk
Social Media
Midlothian
VOCAL Carer Centre
30/1 Hardengreen Estate
Eskbank
Dalkeith
EH22 3NX
Telephone: Freephone 0808 196 6666
Email: midlothian@vocal.org.uk
Social Media
Updated November 2025 BW, EP & HS
