West Lothian offers a mix of workplace support, local carer services, and practical help like assessments, peer support, and short breaks. There’s also a way to record your carer status confidentially so the council can understand and support staff better.
| Type of support | What West Lothian says is available | How to access it |
|---|---|---|
| Tell the council you’re a carer | Add your unpaid carer status to your MyHR profile; this is confidential and can only be accessed by your line manager and HR officers | MyHR |
| Statutory carer’s leave | Up to one week of unpaid leave every 12 months to give or arrange care for a dependant | Request on MyHR under “Other Leave” |
| Flexible working | Homeworking, hybrid working, reduced hours, compressed hours, changed start/finish times, change of work base, term-time working, and additional annual leave | Through the Flexible Working Request Process |
| Carer support from the council’s employee assistance programme | Support and information on health and wellbeing, mental health, physical health, bereavement, alcohol and drug misuse, trauma, childcare, eldercare, family and home, money worries, consumer and legal issues, and work/life matters | Through the employee assistance programme |
| Carers Scotland roadshows | Information, support, peer connection, and access to local services for unpaid carers in 2026/27 | Complete the Unpaid Carer Consultation / questionnaire |
| Carers of West Lothian | Information and advice, training, one-to-one emotional support, hospital-based carer support, peer support groups, counselling, signposting, support for young carers, recreational courses, short break funding, and respitality | Through Carers of West Lothian |
| Carer’s assessment | A local authority assessment to look at how caring affects your health and what support you need | Contact your local authority / social services department |
| Peer support and carer groups | Support groups for emotional and practical support, plus peer support through carer support services or carers groups | Join a local carers group or support service |
| Short breaks and respite | Short breaks from caring, including overnight residential provision, home/community short breaks, and a flexible short break scheme | Through carers support and care services |
A useful practical step is to update MyHR if you’re a carer, because that helps West Lothian track need and direct support. If you want broader help beyond workplace support, Carers of West Lothian is the main local source listed here.