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Identifying and supporting young carers through education: methods of identification and Carer Passports

Laura Bennett, Acting Head of Policy @LauraBWork

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Overview of Carers Trust Carers Trust is the largest provider of comprehensive carer services in the UK, working together in partnership to achieve change for carers Network of 147 local carers’ organisations, 84 provide services for young carers In 2016/17 we reached 509,900 carers, including 23,162 young carers Projects and programmes to support carers Grants and funding programme

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Who are young carers and young adult carers? A young carer is someone under 18 who helps look after someone in their family, or a friend, unpaid, who is ill, disabled or misuses drugs or alcohol.

Young adult carers are young people aged 16-25 with unpaid caring responsibilities who are transitioning into adulthood.

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Young carers can be: Sons and daughters Siblings – as seen here Grandchildren Very young Not living with the person they care for Looking after more than one person

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Young carers are: More likely to experience physical and mental health problems: o 2011 Census: Young carers providing

50+ hours of care a week, five times more likely to report general health as ‘Not good’.

o 2016 GP Patient Survey: 50% more young adult carers reported anxiety and depression compared to peers

Less likely to achieve their potential GCSE grades: nine grades lower than their peers Twice as likely to be not in education, employment or training (NEET)w.carers.org//results.gp-patient.co.uk/report/explanation.aspx

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What do young carers do? A young carer may do some, or all, of these:

Emotional support: listening, calming, being present. Practical tasks: cooking, housework, shopping. Physical care: lifting, helping up the stairs, physiotherapy. Personal care: dressing, washing, toileting needs. Household management: paying bills, managing finances, collecting benefits. Looking after siblings: putting to bed, walking to school, parenting.

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Young Carers in Schools Programme Free; easy for schools to support young carers, awards good practice. Working with schools across England to share good practice, provide relevant tools and training, celebrate the great outcomes that schools achieve for young carers. 203 Awarded Schools: 158 Bronze Award; 31 schools Silver Award; 14 schools Gold Award https://youngcarersinschools.com/

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My Mental Health Being a young carer is a risk factor for children and young people’s mental health Three year programme, builds on our Invisible and In Distress roundtable and report Enable young carers, young adult carers, and services that support them, to take action to promote their mental health and wellbeing Our conversations with DHSC led to “Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision” Green Paper mentioning young carers’ mental health

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Carer Passports DHSC-funded project delivered in partnership by Carers Trust and Carers UK A Carer Passport is a record which identifies the carer in some way and sets out an offer of support In practice: York. o A card or discreet badge, once assessed by

York Carers Centre o Support and allowances in school and

college o Better planning for young carers o Staff trained young carer-aware o Discounts https://carerspassports.uk/

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Improving the identification of young carers DHSC-funded We developed and delivered 8 train-the-trainer style workshops to 221 participants: youth services, young carers services, education, health, social care staff, voluntary and community sector To enable them to deliver their own training and/or to feel more confident in identifying young carers and making a positive offer of support to them. Evaluation very positive: o 92% of attendees found the events useful, or extremely useful; o after the training workshop 92% felt confident, or very confident,

about identifying a young carer. Finalising cascade-able resources which will be available on Professionals website

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Carers Action Plan DHSC will conduct a review of best practice in identification of young carers and access to support The DHSC will fund a project which focuses on young carers from disadvantaged and seldom heard groups, to increase the timely identification of particularly hidden young carers and to support better identification among Black, Asian and minority ethnic families NHS England will embed and develop the Young Carer Health Champions programme The DHSC will fund a project on transitions for young adult carers

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EU Me-We 3 year research and innovation project funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 programme Six countries (Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, UK) universities, research institutes and civil society organisations UK: Carers Trust delivery partner, supporting young carers to take part; University of Sussex is research partner To strengthen the resilience of young adult carers, in order to positively impact their mental health and wellbeing. Survey is live – please ask young carers to take https://www.1ka.si/a/174991

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UCAS

Tickbox campaign Student carers will be given the option to identify themselves on their university application forms Important to be aware of for applications from 2018 and onwards Important transition from school/college to university

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Where have we got to and where are we going?

Young carers have rights in law Young carer services All young carers should be supported in school Children and young people’s mental health need to support young carers as a specific group

Carers.org professionals.carers.org Carers Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (1145181) and in Scotland (SC042870). Registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales No. 7697170. Registered office: 32–36 Loman Street, London SE1 0EH.

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Laura Bennett Acting Head of Policy Email: lbennett@carers.org Twitter: @LauraBWork