Carer Breather Consultation 2026
Improving Carer Breather short breaks for unpaid carers in North Lanarkshire.
Carer Breather: Not just to survive, but to thrive!
“The service provided by Carer Breather short breaks is a lifeline. I hope it continues as I would be lost without it.” – unpaid carer, November 2025.
Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting individuals with complex needs, often at great personal cost to their own health and wellbeing. In North Lanarkshire, carers have consistently expressed the need for meaningful, accessible breaks that go beyond occasional holidays or short-term respite. These breaks are not a luxury – they are essential for sustaining carers’ ability to continue in their role without reaching crisis.
Carer Breather was developed in response to this need, offering community-based activities designed to provide carers with time-out from their responsibilities. Since its launch in 2021, the programme has evolved through multiple phases, each shaped by direct feedback from carers and partner organisations. The current Phase 3 builds on this foundation, aiming to deliver flexible, inclusive opportunities that reflect the diverse circumstances of carers across North Lanarkshire.
This report presents findings from the latest consultation, which sought to evaluate existing provision and identify priorities for future development and additional investment into Carer Breather. It highlights the acute demand for short breaks, the barriers that prevent carers from accessing support, and the practical steps required to ensure Carer Breather continues to deliver on its promise: not just to help carers survive, but to thrive.
To access the report, please visit Carer Breather Report 2026.
It is important to be clear that the investment in Carer Breather is not a payment to individuals but the cost of sustaining a whole system of short break provision across North Lanarkshire. This investment supports delivery through 15 community organisations and over 520 sessions in just 6 months, enabling carers to access individual, group and carer/cared-for breaks multiple times throughout the year, depending on need. For carers providing very high levels of care – with over half caring more than 50 hours per week – this means ongoing, preventative wellbeing support rather than a one-off intervention. Carers consistently report improved wellbeing, confidence, and resilience – helping them to sustain caring without reaching crisis. Set against the costs of emergency respite, carer breakdown, hospital admission or escalating care packages, Carer Breather represents clear value for money.
The report closes our engagement loop with carers and partners who took part and fulfilled our We Asked, You Said, We Did promise. It concludes that Carer Breather is a lifeline for those who can access it, but barriers remain. By prioritising sitter services and robust information provision, Phase 3 can transform carers’ ability to take meaningful breaks. In addition, the further development of Carer Breather ensures North Lanarkshire has a robust infrastructure of short break provision in advance of the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill’s full implementation which will afford carers the legal right to a break to support their wellbeing and prevent burnout.