An overview of Equal Partners in Care, who unpaid carers are and why this learning resource is for you.
A set of postcards featuring statements to support understanding of EPiC, its core principles and the learning resources available.
Within services, the person receiving care is usually the focus in the process but service discharge and transition can be difficult times for people providing unpaid care. Find out what you can do to help your practice and further links that...
An overview of the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 and what this means for your practice
This NHS 24 leaflet guides you through the services it provides in supporting unpaid carers’
Animation: Equal Partners in Care - Caring for Carers
This short animation will help health and social care staff recognise and reflect on opportunities they have to recognise and support unpaid carers – the essential first step to working alongside carers as equal partners in care.
Webinar: Carers: Recognition and Rights. Your contribution matters
This recorded webinar provides an introduction to conversations with carers and to their rights under the Carers (Scotland) 2016.
The following films feature real life carers and their own experiences. Some people may find the shared content difficult to listen to. If you share these films with your colleagues or Teams, please advise of the sensitive content.
This film gives an overview of carers experiences in being identified as a carer, the impact of caring, being included and supported.
Unpaid carers share their experiences of how they came to the realisation they were a carer.
Impact of caring on unpaid carers
Unpaid carers share the impact of the care they deliver, from exhaustion to love and joy.
Unpaid carers share their experiences of being excluded and the beneficial impact of being included in conversations around the person they care for.
Unpaid carers share their experiences of the beneficial impact receiving support can have on their lives, often enabling them to continue caring.
Unpaid carers share their experiences of when the person they care for needs to move into a care home setting.
Experiencing bereavement and loss
Unpaid carers share their experiences of when the person they care for has died.
Equal Partners in Care (EPiC) 2024-2025
The overarching aim of EPiC is to support the health and social care workforce to identify and have good conversations with unpaid carers so they can work effectively with them as equal partners
What is EPiC?
EPiC Resources:
E-learning modules
Leaflets and cards
Animations and films
Webinars and events
Who are learners?
862 Turas Learn users in 2024
3% Allied Health Professionals
4% Business/Admin
21% Other
23% Community and Social Care
49% Nursing
Comparing with the latest available NHS workforce and Scotland’s Social Services workforce data we estimate that our e learning modules have reached only 0.2% of the total health and social care workforce in Scotland.
What did the learners think?
78% have already recommended the EPiC resources to a colleague
64% have already applied their learning in practice
87% agree that the resources were easy to access
Average learner rating of EPiC resources was 4.72 out of 5 stars
Learner quote: “I feel more confident having a conversation with someone who may be an unpaid carer and help them recognise what classes as one and how they can access appropriate support”
Bar Chart
A bar chart asks: “Following my use of the EPiC resources, I am more confident in...”
Identifying unpaid carers myself – 84% (strongly agree and agree) 10% (neither agree or disagree) 6% (not applicable)
Helping unpaid carers recognise themselves as carers – 87% (strongly agree and agree) 7% (neither agree or disagree) 4% (disagree) 1% (not applicable)
Engaging in outcomes-focused conversations with unpaid carers – 76% (strongly agree and agree) 15% (neither agree or disagree) 9% (not applicable)
Providing signposting to unpaid carers - 81% (strongly agree and agree) 12% (neither agree or disagree) 6% (disagree) 1% (not applicable)
Understanding my obligations under the Carers Act Scotland (2016) -84% (strongly agree and agree) 10% (neither agree or disagree)
What do learners do after completing the modules?
Share knowledge at varying levels
Encourage colleagues to undertake the training
Put in place new initiatives to support cultural change Include elements of the EPiC resources in training that they provide
Use the resources to develop services and resources for their organisation
Use resources to raise the profile of unpaid carers amongst staff
Learner quote: “I encourage carers to seek help, never forget empathy and how tough it is and never judge or trivialise their complaints”
What does being an Equal Partner in Care mean to unpaid carers?
Quote from an unpaid carer: “Accepted and having your role seen as valuable, and being included actively in their care because you don’t want to feel like you’re having to fight to be in the room.”
Conclusion
There is strong evidence that the resources are useful and impactful, but we are aware that our resources have only reached a small proportion of the workforce and there is still a gap between the reality of unpaid carers’ experiences and the EPiC principles. This highlights the work we still have left to do.
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