CARERS do an incredible job – chances are all of us will know somebody who is a carer.

No-one chooses to be a carer, no-one chooses to have a relative, child or parent who has a physical disability or mental illness which means they cannot care for themselves.

Therefore it is vitally important that governments help carers as much as they possibly can.

Last Thursday, the Scottish Parliament debated the Carers (Scotland) Bill.

Introduced by the Health Secretary in March this year, this bill has garnered cross party support and has benefited from the input of carers, cared-for people and their support organisations at committee stages.

The key objective of the Carers Bill is to enshrine the rights of unpaid carers who voluntarily provide care worth over £10 billion to Scottish NHS and social care departments, and to expand the law’s definition of ‘carer’ to include more people, some of whom have been continuously overlooked by carers support organisations and Local Authorities.

Some don’t even realise that what they are doing for their family members or partners is ‘caring’.

It also places a duty on Local Authorities to work alongside the NHS with every one of these carers to develop a tailored Adult Care and Support Plan or Young Carer Statement to ensure that carers are made properly aware of their entitlement and support services in their area.

Perhaps most importantly, the bill will ensure that carers cannot be charged for support services provided by their Local Authority, such as respite care.

Respite services are a lifeline for many carers, some of whom provide 24 hour care.

Carers are often unable to enjoy the ‘time for ourselves’ that we all take for granted such as trips to the shops, weekends away or even a decent night’s sleep – respite allows carers to take care of themselves.

There are some fantastic organisations out there offering respite services to carers.

One I have got to know well over my time as an MSP is the Glasgow South West Carers Centre - a hub which, alongside respite, offers counselling, advice and a sense of community.

The staff and volunteers at the carers centre have invaluable relationships with carers from the area, which is why I was extremely concerned to hear that Glasgow City Council plans to tender the contracts for the city’s carers centres.

The Carers Bill isn’t the only step the SNP are taking to care for Scottish society’s carers – the First Minister has committed to increasing Carers Allowance to the same rate as Job Seekers Allowance once it is devolved.

A carers trust report shows that 9/10 carers consider themselves to be financially worse off due to their caring responsibilities – with all that they give to society, that’s just not fair, and we’re using all the powers we have to rectify it.

Finally, last week was Living Wage Week and I was delighted to hear that the Scottish Living Wage has increased to £8.25.

Encouraging employers to pay their staff a fair wage is an essential part of tackling in-work poverty.

I myself am a proud living wage employer alongside over 370 employers across Scotland who have signed up to the Scottish Living Wage – including Cardonald based Agripa Solutions and, as of last week, Mackies of Scotland.