This briefing looks at Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic young carers and their specific and unique needs. Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic young carers have long been recognised as particularly vulnerable. The term Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic is inclusive of those who may have vastly different issues and vulnerabilities including within their own communities. However, much of our research is focused on issues within Asian communities, predominantly South Asian, as that is the highest Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic demographic within our young carers’ services. Therefore, in this report the term BAME relates mostly to South Asian families.
Many organisations over the last ten years have looked at how support is offered to Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic communities, why Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic young carers often have additional issues to deal with such as stigma and what impact cultural differences have. As part of our research into the needs and vulnerabilities of Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic young carers, we examined existing reports and information in addition to conducting interviews with Barnardo’s young carer practitioners from our services across England. We also undertook a short survey with our services to identify the key issues faced by young carers from Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic communities in accessing support services and to gain insight into what measures can be adopted to ensure that Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic young carers have better access to support.
Keywords: Young carers
