Young Carers

Laurus Ryecroft l has been given a Gold Award as part of the Young Carers In Schools programme ran by the Children’s Society for their work to make sure students don’t miss out on an education because they are young carers.

Young carers are responsible for emotional, practical or physical care for a parent, sibling or other family member who has a physical disability, mental health issue or substance misuse issue. The 2011 Census statistics revealed that there are just over 166,000 young carers in England, but research reveals that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The true figure could be closer to 800,000 young carers in England, equivalent to one in five secondary aged school children.

The Young Carers in Schools programme has helped us to improve outcomes for young carers and celebrates good practice through the Young Carers in Schools Award.

To achieve the Gold Award we have demonstrated that we are actively working with young carers and their families to ensure that young carers are recognised and have access to the support that they need. We have included young carers in school improvement plans and that they are considered at every level of the school.

We have a named member of the Leadership Team responsible for young carers as well as a wider team of staff who support the work we do with young carers. We work closely with Signpost the Tameside young carer service to ensure that we are offering the best possible support.

As part of the Gold Award we have ensured that:

We provide young carers with opportunities to speak to someone in private, and will not discuss their situation in front of their peers.

We ensure all young carers have a young carer passport to identify their specific needs and strategies that can be used to ensure they are met.

We appreciate that young carers will not discuss their family situation unless they feel comfortable. The young person’s caring role will be acknowledged and respected.

We treat young carers in a sensitive and child-centred way, upholding confidentiality.

We ensure young carers can access all available support services in school and other appropriate services/agencies.

We follow safeguarding procedures regarding any young carer at risk of significant harm due to inappropriate levels of caring.

We promote discussion and learning in all areas of the curriculum to facilitate fuller understanding, acceptance of and respect for, the issues surrounding illness, disability and caring.

We recognise that flexibility may be needed when responding to the needs of young carers.

Helen Leadbitter, national young carers lead at The Children’s Society, said: “Hundreds of schools across England are participating in the Young Carers in Schools programme, using the tools and resources to improve their support systems, and ensuring that no child need miss out on educational opportunities because they are a carer. 74% of schools who have achieved a Young Carers in Schools Award have noticed improved attendance among their young carers, and 94% have noticed improvements in their wellbeing and confidence.