Scotland’s first-ever Care Policy Scorecard, released today by the A Scotland That Cares campaign, shines a light on multiple care systems that are falling short, leaving those experiencing care, unpaid carers and parents struggling to get the support they need, and paid childcare and social care workers undervalued.
Produced by the Scottish Women’s Budget Group for the joint campaign – which is backed by over 70 charities, unions, and community groups – the Scorecard grades the strength and implementation of policy across a wide variety of care, including childcare, social care and unpaid care.
While it focuses on Scottish Government policy and implementation, it also seeks to consider the impact of decisions at UK level, such as employment law and reserved social security powers, and local levels that also affect how care is delivered on the ground and the experiences of those who receive and provide it.
The Scorecard’s verdict is stark: while some policies look promising on paper, in practice progress is patchy, promises are off track, budgets are inadequate, and families are left to cope without the care they need.
How Scotland scored:
- Adult social care: failing grade. Despite the dedication of undervalued, underpaid staff, chronic shortages and tight budgets mean many disabled and older people wait months, sometimes years, for support. Policies and strategies exist, but the assessment shows major reforms and significant additional investment are urgently needed.
- Childcare: low marks. Some building blocks are in place, but families are still missing out on the hours they should be entitled to, with long waiting lists and little flexibility. Providers face financial pressures, and there are major gaps for babies and toddlers. Out-of-school care scored lowest of all, with no national system yet in place. Parents, particularly mothers, are paying the price in missed shifts, cut hours, or lost jobs. While the Scottish Child Payment offers vital support to low-income parents, Scotland is off track to deliver the child poverty targets, a key indicator of wider family poverty.
- Support for unpaid carers of those with additional support needs: poorly graded. Around 800,000 people in Scotland provide unpaid care, the majority of them women. Although Scotland provides some additional financial help, such as the Carer Support Payment and Young Carer Grant, too few carers benefit; just 11% receive the Payment and 12% of young carers access the Grant. Many unpaid carers face rising costs, limited respite, and inadequate support, leaving them at risk of poverty. National funding for the Carers (Scotland) Act isn’t ring-fenced, support for those trying to juggle care and work is lacking, and too often BME carers remain overlooked.
Campaigners say while some progressive additional policies are in place in Scotland, too often they fail to reach those who need them most, aren’t affordable, lack proper funding, or comprehensive monitoring, and leave unpaid carers, mostly women, ignored. The report shows that while promises often exist on paper, transformative change remains out of reach for many.
The Scorecard also shows how much care remains hidden as Scotland doesn’t regularly count the huge amount of unpaid care work, done mostly by women, even though it saves the country billions each year. Paid care jobs are also mainly done by women, with 83% of adult social care workers and 96% of childcare workers female. That means when care isn’t properly funded, it’s women who lose out most, at work and at home, deepening gender inequality.
The A Scotland That Cares campaign is urging Scottish Ministers to put care at the heart of the upcoming Scottish Budget, while also highlighting that UK Government spending decisions could have a big impact on available funding for care in Scotland. They say greater effort is also needed to ensure existing and new policies are fully accessible to all, including marginalised communities who too often miss out on support.
Sara Cowan, Director of the Scottish Women’s Budget Group, who are members of A Scotland That Cares said: “Care is the backbone of our society, but this Scorecard shows that policymakers are not making the grade. Too many women are being forced out of work or into poverty because childcare and social care aren’t properly funded. Scottish Ministers must put care at the centre of the upcoming Scottish Budget, investing in childcare, social care, and real support for unpaid carers. Warm words aren’t enough: we need results.”
Campaigners in Scotland are urging all parties to make stretching, fully funded manifesto commitments to better value and invest in all forms of care. They say that means tackling the staffing crisis in social care, expanding funded childcare so that children get the best start and parents can work, and providing proper financial support for unpaid carers. Without action, families across Scotland will go on paying the price.
A Scotland That Cares also continues to call for a clear national goal, backed by measurable targets, to end the invisibility of carers in the Scottish Government’s ‘wellbeing framework’ and to help ensure that care is valued, properly funded, and actually making a difference in people’s lives. While Ministers proposed one in 2024, they then quietly shelved the plan.
Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland who are also members of A Scotland That Cares, said: “This report card shows some progress, but the message is clear: we must try harder. Care isn’t a luxury; it’s the backbone of our families and communities, yet too often, poverty is a consequence of caring. With the Scottish election approaching, every party must not just talk about how much they value care but commit to the significant new investment needed to turn these meagre marks into real change for carers and families across the country.”
/ENDS
For more information and interviews, please contact: Rebecca Lozza, Media and Communications Adviser, Oxfam Scotland: rlozza1@oxfam.org.uk / 07917738450
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