Schools and colleges across Lancashire have been given new resources to help them identify young carers and recognise the responsibilities they might have.
Children’s charity Barnardo’s which runs Lancashire Young Carers launched the resources on Young Carer Action Day (Wednesday 16th March) which is celebrated annually to raise awareness of young carers.
The resources, which include a checklist highlighting emotional and practical support needs and a suggested policy for young carers, mean that young carers in education will know who their young carers lead is in their school/college and what support is available to them.
Hayley Ranicar from Barnardo’s Lancashire Young Carer’s Service said:
“Through our work with young carers we understand the challenges they face juggling school and home lives with their caring responsibilities. Being a young carer can feel isolating at times and knowing that they have someone in school they can turn to who understands will be really beneficial.
“Young carers may be late for class or need access to a phone so they can call home and it is these types of situations where we hope the resources will help teaching staff to acknowledge their unique situations. We want to avoid young carers having to explain their story multiple times to different teachers and just to feel that their circumstances are understood.”
One young carer said they thought the resources ‘are a good idea as not all teachers are aware of students who are young carers.’ Another explained how ‘young carers aren’t talked about much in my school and there isn’t much support.’
County Councillor Cosima Towneley, cabinet member for children and families at Lancashire County Council, said:
"There are many young carers in Lancashire going above and beyond to support their loved ones alongside school or college commitments. This is an enormous undertaking and it is so important that they themselves feel supported.
"Often the smaller, practical things make all the difference – for instance, acknowledging that a young carer may benefit from extra time to complete homework or recognising the emotional distress they may be feeling as a result of their caring duties.
"Lancashire County Council is proud to help fund this vital initiative to ensure young carers feel the support and care they provide to their loved ones is available to them, too."
Lancashire Young Carers is funded through Lancashire County Council and East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group. The service supports young carers under the age of 18 who provide regular and ongoing care and emotional support to a family member who is physically or mentally ill, disabled or misuses substances and are significantly affected by their caring role.
For further information and a copy of the resources, please visit https://www.barnardos.org.uk/what-we-do/services/lancashire-young-carers