Supporting Young Carers 17 May 2021 The Children’s Society has estimated that in the UK today there are in the region of 800,000 young carers aged between 5-17 and that 67% of these have said their caring role has increased during lockdown. A young carer is someone under the age of 18 who helps care for a parent, sibling or another family member. Their loved one may be living with a disability, illness, mental health condition or drug and alcohol dependence. They may not recognise that they are a carer, as looking after a relative has been something they have always done. However, they may have suddenly and unexpectedly become a carer. They will likely have extra jobs around the house such as cooking, cleaning, personal care, giving medicines and paying the bills. The priority of the young carer is the person they are caring for which, in turn, can be detrimental to their own health and wellbeing. We look at the impact of being a young carer and how we can support these young heroes. Impact on the young carer Caring for a family member can impact negatively on the young carer. They may need to grow up before their time and become the adult in the family. They may not be supported into adulthood and could miss out on valuable times with their friends. The Children’s Society has further alarming statistics: 1 in 3 young carers have an overlooked mental health issue. 59% of young carers said they were not able to take a break from caring. 80% of young carers feel more isolated during lockdown than before. Caring for a loved one could also mean that schoolwork can suffer. 27% of young carers between 11-15 years miss school and, when they do go to school, their lack of concentration due to tiredness or worry will in turn affect their enthusiasm to learn and finally impact their grades. Future aspirations can also be affected. A young carer may be so exhausted or lack the time to actively seek help, meaning that they end up dealing with such a huge responsibility on their own. Reassuring the young carer It is not easy to identify a young carer as they are often reluctant to highlight their situation or they do not want to ask for help from official bodies in fear of their family splitting up. It is imperative to reassure the young carer that help and support is centred around the family’s needs so they can carry on as a family unit. The Children Act (1989) and Families Act (2014) underline that there is a duty to inform carers of their right to an assessment and a social worker from the local authority must visit the home to carry out a Young Carers Assessment. This takes the form of a whole family approach and the young carer will be asked if they want to continue caring and their needs identified. The assessment will also look at education, training and recreational activities the carer would like to participate in. Often, those in the best position to reassure that outside help will be in the carers and their family’s best interest is the young carer’s school. When not caring for the loved one, the young carer will spend much of their time in school. Financial support for a young carer, often in the form of local authority grants and charities, can help to remove some burden from the family, with young carers prone to not just helping more around the house but also taking on one or more jobs whilst also in full time education. Turn2us is a great national charity that helps people search for relevant grants or funds. As a charity, MedicAlert supports those in need of our service, if they encounter financial difficulties. This is done via our Goodwill Project, which would not be possible without the kind donations of our members and supporters. The Goodwill Project protects individuals living with medical conditions, when their financial situation may prevent them from otherwise subscribing to MedicAlert membership or from purchasing medical ID jewellery. Read more about this on our website: GOODWILL PROJECT Pro-active support from the school The Children’s Society identifies that 39% of young carers said no one in their school was even aware of their caring responsibilities and, according to the Carers Trust, as many as 1 in 12 pupils could be young carers. These figures alone justify the need for a school to address their responsibility of safeguarding their young charges. A school can help the young carer by: Providing the contact details for relevant organisations to help access support. Being proactive – reach out rather than waiting for them to approach with issues. Supporting studies by offering catch up classes at lunchtime and giving extra time to complete homework. Allowing them to carry a mobile phone, if not already allowed within standard policy, so to check in with their loved ones at break times. Recognising when they are tired and draw back from active participation. Reassuring them that their nurses/pastoral staff are qualified to help. Treating them as equal to other pupils but remembering they have additional needs. Raising awareness amongst staff and pupils, but without singling out the young carer. When at school, the young carer may feel anxious that they are away from their family member when something could happen. MedicAlert can offer peace of mind for the young carer, knowing their loved ones’ medical records are stored and easily accessible in case of an emergency to support appropriate care decisions. The loved one will wear a medical ID bracelet, engraved with the most vital medical information, so the first responders will be able to identify their needs. JOIN NOW Raising awareness In many cases, young carers would rather keep quiet about their caring duties while at school. Some will see school as respite from their responsibilities at home. Even if they need the support of the school, they do not want to be seen as different by other pupils, so raising awareness should concentrate on educating the majority of the pupils on the subject of being a young carer, rather than identifying the individuals who are the carers. The Young Carers in Schools initiative was set up by the Carers Trust and The Children’s Society to help schools support young carers. The school will be able to access resources and guides for teachers, leaders and support staff to be better equipped at meeting the needs of the young carers. According to the Carers Trust, 94% of schools that take part in the initiative had a better understanding of support required for young carers. Every year, the Carers Trust organise the Young Carers Action Day to raise public awareness of the challenges of young people in their role as carers. To make sure your school can get involved next year, sign up to the Carers Trust Newsletter. Recognising the young carer as the expert It is so important to recognise the young carer as an expert in caring for their loved ones. They may be children but they take on adult responsibilities, so respecting their views and experiences is vital. They will know their circumstances better than anyone so decisions about their family situation need to be made with them and not for them. Finding support In the UK there are many avenues of support for the young carer particularly through charities and local authorities. The Children’s Society organises the Young Carers Festival to give an opportunity for a break and connect with other young carers. There are resources on their website to help a young carer, such as advice on money and bills, their rights, education, dealing with mental health and well-being. KIDS is a fantastic charity, supporting children with disabilities as well as running clubs for young carers so they can talk in a safe environment and engage with other young carers who understand their concerns and priorities. They provide access to counselling services, organise activities in the school holidays, as well as weekends away. Most local authorities will have a dedicated service to support young carers. As well as managing the young carer’s funding, they deliver or provide access to many other support services. These can range from 1-to-1 support, outings for carers and their families, a professional to talk to and access to grants to help subsidise a family’s holiday. When it is permitted to travel abroad, MedicAlert offers 24/7 emergency support in 100 languages so the young carer and their family can benefit from knowing they will be looked after when having a well-earned holiday. There is a lot of help in the UK for young carers but sifting through all the information and data can be a daunting task, we must remember they are children. It is so important that support must be proactive; help must come to them rather than they seek help, as time and confidence could be in short supply. Even with heavy responsibilities on their young shoulders, young carers are strong and resilient. They often become champions for other carers and find time to raise awareness. We are always looking to support those caring and providing care for MedicAlert members, whether it be loved ones or paid carers. This is why we have two specific service elements dedicated for carers: Carer ID - Available in 2 designs, this ID highlights that the wearer cares for someone who may be vulnerable and links to the members MedicAlert account, so they're known about and provided with care should you have an emergency. Emergency Care Plan - We know that many MedicAlert members have carers, who worry about what might happen should they have an accident. This form can be stored on the members MedicAlert account and will help you to plan for the unexpected so the person you care for receives appropriate and continuous care. Find out more about how a MedicAlert membership for the loved one can help a young carer by providing them with confidence that their loved one is safe, with their vital medication information available at all times. FIND OUT MORE References and further reading https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work/supporting-young-carers https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/information/young-people/young-carers/festival https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Get-Support https://carers.org/about-caring/about-young-carers https://carers.org/young-carers-action-day-2021/young-carers-action-day-2021 https://www.carersuk.org https://www.kids.org.uk/young-carers https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/support-and-benefits-for-carers/help-for-young-carers/ Article Categories Health and Wellbeing Hints and Tips
