Carers Conference 2025 announced

It’s been confirmed a much anticipated second Carers Conference will take place in Orkney on 27 November, 2025.

It follows on from a very well attended and successful gathering for the county’s unpaid carers in 2023 – believed to be the first of its link in Scotland - which helped Orkney Health and Care develop their Carers Strategy.

This time round, it’s hoped the conference will help bring carers up to speed on support available to them including the Scottish Government’s Carer Support Payment and Time to Live fund, and provide opportunity for new friendships with fellow carers.

It’s also hoped the event will increase awareness in the community about the importance of unpaid carers, the support available to them, and why somebody might be considered a carer.

Carers come in all shapes and sizes, providing vital care to people with frailty and mobility and health issues, mental ill health, disabilities or addiction.

This could, for example, be someone in the community helping a neighbour with vital daily tasks and routines due to frailty, a parent caring for a child with disabilities, an adult looking after a relative with dementia, or a young person supporting their parent, including caring for siblings or other relatives needing care.

The Orkney Carers Conference is put together by the Carers Strategy Group, a multi agency group including Crossroads Care Orkney, Age Scotland Orkney, Orkney Health and Care, NHS Orkney and Orkney Islands Council and professionals who work with families.

To help make the 2025 conference as enjoyable and as useful as possible for those who attend, carers are being invited to take part in a short online survey. The survey will also be available to fill out at Crossroads Care Orkney (in the Travel Centre in Kirkwall) or at Age Scotland Orkney in Victoria Street, Kirkwall.

Shaun Hourston-Wells is Chair of the Carers Strategy Group:

“If you are a carer, or think you might be, please take a few minutes to let us know what topics you’d like our 2025 Carers Conference to cover by heading to www.orkney.gov.uk/carersconference

“We believe there are at least 3,000 carers in Orkney, with only a few hundred known to us and seeking support.

“We’re on a mission to encourage more people to consider if they might be a carer and therefore be eligible for support.

“Even if you don’t feel you need support now, it’s good to get familiar with the support in Orkney and start thinking about what support might really benefit you in future.

“Meantime, we’d urge all carers and those in our community who work with families to save the date in their diaries.”

Stephen Brown is Chief Officer of Orkney Health and Care: “We’re really pleased to be hosting a second conference for carers in Orkney.

“The overwhelming message from folk who attended the last conference was that it should be something we repeat, with most people reporting they learned something very useful and came away feeling very much more connected with fellow carers and less alone in their challenges.

“We’re hoping to be able to update carers on efforts to secure some bookable respite and a strategy for our young carers, as well as the chance to speak to local support services.”

The conference will be held at the Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall. Further details on the conference will become available in due course. Check back at www.orkney.gov.uk/carersconference