What policies there are to protect carers providing long-term care from having respite care withdrawn without adequate and equitable altern…

The Executive recognisesthat respite care is an integral and central part of the range of health andsocial care services which should be available to service users and carers. OurPartnership Agreement reflects our firm commitment to develop respite provisionacross Scotland and over the last three years £22 million has been providedto local authorities specifically to develop short break services. Theseresources are just part of the total resources available to local authorities.Authorities must decide, with other statutory bodies including health boards,how much to spend on respite provision. It is a matter for local authorities,working with other agencies and with users and carers, to make decisions onrespite provision for individuals. All local authorities have complaints proceduresin place to address any concerns users and carers may have about caremanagement or service planning and delivery decisions.