One big, happy family under the same roof?

Very rarely are people allowed off the leash – so to speak – in terms of developing policy and alternative approaches in Scotland. Occasionally we have a flash of brilliance and slightly less risk averse* policy making in Scotland e.g. devolving respite funding for carers and disabled children to voluntary organisations. So when SCVO employed two policy interns earlier this year, we let them go wild! Louise Settle focussed on the welfare state and we encouraged her to look outwards to other countries. She didn’t disappoint. You may have seen her recent article in the Scotsman. Louise’s work highlighted that future policy in Scotland could tackle the often similar challenges faced by two groups: parents trying to access increasingly costly childcare and unpaid carers. She also touched on the challenges faced by sandwich carers – people looking after children while caring for elderly relatives. One of the key questions Louise poses is: Can we re-think current living arrangements so that families and communities are more closely connected?

Can we re-think current living arrangements so that families and communities are more closely connected?

She brings out examples of shared sites where childcare and support for older people are delivered in the same place. She also suggests reinventing and promoting the idea of ‘granny flats’. Looking at the idea of more ‘joined up’ living arrangements, this can have help reduce the distance carers need to travel to provide everyday care and support to older relatives. It can help to reduce isolation and enable older relatives to contribute to childcare or household tasks where they can; this can help to share the burden of care and foster good relationships between the generations. I hope people don’t see this as being just about ‘free childcare’ or as a way of placing more pressure on the sandwich carers mentioned above (more often than not these are women who are also balancing paid employment). Without the space for independent living, this close environment can lead to conflict and stress between family members. Louise urges us to consider an up-dated version of intergenerational housing. For example, the New South Wales Government in Australia has reduced the complexity of obtaining planning permission and created a website to provide useful information and raise awareness of the benefits associated with such schemes. Louise goes on to suggest that the Scottish Government could perhaps revise planning permission barriers and considering council tax exemptions for such residences – something to consider given that bringing families together and reducing isolation can minimise or eradicate the need for statutory interventions. Louise also suggests that private property developers could be encouraged to include ‘intergenerational flats’ within their housing stock and that a certain percentage of any new council housing stock built should include intergenerational living spaces. These are all areas over which the Scottish Government has some control, which moves us away from a focus purely on benefits, and benefit payments and shows us how policy in seemingly unrelated areas can impact of our welfare. Something to mull over, perhaps….. *yes, this IS one of my favourite phrases just now!