CS 21 Annex

Legislation Committee No.5

Response to the Proposed Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure

Action for Children - Annex

Briefing Paper:Young Carers
Papur Briffio:Gofalwyr Ifanc

Young Carers

A young carer provides care for someone who is ill, disabled, elderly, experiencing mental distress or affected by substance use, or has substantial responsibility for caring for a disabled child. They may be providing all of the care or helping someone else provide care and consequently their life may be restricted. The care they provide can include physical tasks and also emotional support and the weight and constancy of the role can have a great impact on their emotional wellbeing. Catherine Bennett writing in the Observer describes young carers as 'Britain’s last legal source of child labour’ and that 'we rightly applaud the sacrifices of young carers but do nothing to alleviate their isolation or vulnerability.’

The number of young carers in Wales is difficult to quantify. Families are often afraid to tell anyone because they fear the consequences; so many young carers remain invisible. The 2001 census recorded 10,471 young carers aged between 5 and 17 in Wales, but we now believe this is a significant under representation of the real numbers. Based on the conservative assumption that 10% of all primary and secondary pupils in Wales have a caring role, there will be 47,900 children and young people, up to the age of 18, who have a caring role (based on pupil numbers in Wales in January 2009).  

Having a significant caring role does not always result in the welfare or development of the child or young person suffering; with adequate support it can be a positive experience. However, where they are undertaking tasks inappropriate for their age, it will reduce the opportunity for them to reach their full potential

Dedicated young carers schemes across Wales are provided by the voluntary sector in partnership with local authority social care and health services. The schemes provide support to young carers and some opportunities to recapture some of their childhood and meet other young carers. Across Wales these young carers’ schemes provide places for a total of 1520 young carers, with a further 335 on waiting lists. This means there are around 45,000 young carers not recognised or receiving support and many young carers’ schemes are on short term funding.

The issues facing young carers were highlighted in research undertaken by Bangor and Swansea Universities in 2001 and, while we fully support the recommendations in the Children’s Commissioner’s 'Full of Care’ report and the voices of young carers themselves as stated in the Young Carers’ Network '6 point plan’, it is a shame little has changed.

What has been achieved since 2000?

2000 Publication of 'Caring About Carers- A Strategy for Carers in Wales’ and Carers Grant introduced.

2001 Research studies of young carers by Bangor and Swansea Universities

2004 Equal Opportunities Act

2005/6 Carers Mental Health Grant introduced

2006 Young Carers’ Network established.

2007 Publication of 'Carers Strategy for Wales Action Plan’ and Young Carers Network’s Action List developed

2009 Publication of Children’s Commissioner for Wales 'Full of Care’ research in association with Powys Carers

2009 National Assembly for Wales passes a motion acknowledging the need for action to support young carers and to encourage better joint working to ensure young carers do not undertake tasks inappropriate for their age and Carers Legislative Competence Order introduced

2009 Young Carers develop a '6 point plan’ to take to a meeting with the Deputy Minister, identifying their key issues and concerns.

What are our current concerns?

Young carers are unable to exercise their rights as laid out in the UNCRC. In particular their rights are being infringed under articles 12(right to participate in decisions that affect them), 13 (right to information), 31(right to relax and play) and 32(government should protect them from work that is harming their health/education).

There is lack of a strategic and consistent approach to policy, support and services for young carers at both a national and local level. For example, in some areas there is funding for dedicated young carers workers to link with schools but not others.

Many young carers are experiencing poverty; their families are usually claiming benefits and they also suffer poverty of opportunity and access to services.

Many young carers are not recognised and so do not have access to an assessment of their needs and support from services. There is a need for holistic assessments of a whole family’s need which includes the young carer. Many families are nervous of statutory services and most young carers see their life as 'normal’. Where, for example, there is substance misuse in a family, young carers are understandably reluctant to come forward.   Because of this, schools, health and social services need to be much more aware and proactively identify young carers and ensure they are assessed and supported.

Many young carers undertake inappropriate responsibilities for their age; some adults who are cared for may decline the services on offer, preferring to rely on their child/ren. In other cases adults do not meet the criteria for services. As the criteria for the provision of service is based on an assessment of the cared for person rather than the carer themselves, this means that a significant number of young carers needs are overlooked. Of most concern are children and young people administering medication, providing intimate personal care, manual handling and caring for those with mental health and substance misuse problems.

Young carers often suffer poor mental health and emotional well being. Statistics from 'Full of Care’ found that 86% said they had felt really stressed out in the last week and 52% said that they had felt they couldn’t cope during the previous week.

Many young carers willingly provide care to support their families but struggle to cope with the demands. Many young carers want more help - not for themselves but for those they care for. Others are resentful of the demands placed upon them. Young carers should have a real choice and be given options about the level of care they provide; they also need support and information in making those decisions.

Many primary and secondary schools/ colleges remain unaware of the needs of young carers, which is disturbing when it affects around a tenth of their pupils. Young carers need to be able to access and maintain their places in education and schools/ colleges should be engaging with planning services for the individual young carers.

Appropriate services for young carers are needed in each local authority area to provide young carers with support and social and informal learning opportunities, thus enabling young carers to have a childhood and to do some of the things other young people do. Young carers should also have access to advocacy.

Young adult carers can face additional issues in the transition to adulthood and in progressing to further or higher education or employment and independence. Often young adult carers find that traditional Carers Services do not meet their needs. Research undertaken by Becker and Becker (2008) into the needs of young adult carers aged 16 to 24 found that most 'experience significant financial hardships’ and that there is 'strong evidence of poverty and social exclusion for all family members and of young adult carers using their own money to subsidise the needs of parents’. The  young adult carers in the sample generally found college more accessible than school but a quarter of them were not in employment, education or training (NEET) and a further third were in part time, low paid jobs.

Recommendations

That the Welsh Assembly Government develops a National Young Carers Strategy that is based on the evidence from young carers, Sections 66 and 67 of the Children and Families (Wales) Measure, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales report and other research.

That Children & Young People Partnerships formulate a local Young Carers Strategy showing how they will identify, assess and provide services for young carers which should be reflected in the Children and Young People’s Plans from 2011.

That appropriate outcome measures are developed for young carers and the implementation of both national and local strategies are monitored.

Local county youth fora need to link with the local young carers scheme so that young carers can participate in the review and development of services, including the development of a local Young Carers Strategy and the Children and Young People’s Plans.

Professionals in education, health, social services and voluntary sector need to proactively identify young carers, assess them and put in place appropriate support services and mechanisms so that their rights are realised.

Health, social care and voluntary sector professionals need to be able to recognise what are inappropriate responsibilities for young carers. There needs to be significantly improved communication and joint planning between health and adult services (who deal with the adults being cared for) and children’s services as this is causing huge problems to young carers. Young carers themselves identified the need for a formal protocol to be in place between adult & children's services in all local authority areas, when they met at their workshop in October 09.  

Young carers need to be engaged in health and social care plans for the person for whom they care and health/ social care professionals should make clear to the child/ young person what their options are, so that they can make an informed choice about the amount of care they feel they can provide. Young carers should be provided with an advocate during these discussions.  Appropriate training must be provided for the caring roles young carers agree to undertake.  The level of care provided by young carers should be reviewed and renegotiated regularly and if there is any change in family circumstances or educational demands.

Guidance needs to be provided to health and local authorities on the process of assessment of young carers. It is a statutory duty to assess young carers and different authorities do this in different ways; in many areas young carers are not assessed but passed directly to young carers’ services. The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 places a duty to inform carers of their right to an assessment but this still rarely happens. Some local authorities say young carers are only entitled to an assessment as a "child in need” but this is legally incorrect.

Core modules on Young Carers should be included in training courses for social work, teaching, nursing/ medical work and youth work.

All schools and further education colleges should identify members of staff to be responsible for young carers, to influence school policies, raise awareness of young carers’ needs with school staff and ensure procedures are put in place to meet their needs.

Continuous Professional Development of frontline staff in health, education and social care to support the identification of young carers and raise awareness of the issues that affect them. Training resources, such as the under used 'Caring for Young Carers’ which was distributed in 2004, should be reviewed and re-issued.

Appropriate services for young carers should be provided in each local authority area. Research and practice experience has shown that families and young carers are more likely to engage if these services are located in the voluntary sector but it is crucial that these services work in close partnership with statutory services. Young carers’ services should be needs led and should be regularly reviewed to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to meet the needs of young carers in the local area. The responsibility for raising awareness about young carers’ needs should not fall solely to young carers’ services; while young carers’ services can play a part in awareness raising in schools, they have insufficient capacity to meet the need identified.

Young carers’ services are often funded from several sources, many short term, so a service will be unsure what funding will be available in the next year.  There should be secure long term funding made available for young carers’ services that is ring fenced, either directly from the Assembly, accessed through a tendering process, or via funding responsibilities placed upon Local Authorities.

The Welsh Assembly should develop a set of meaningful KPIs that allow the meaningful measurement of quality in the delivery of assessments or services for young carers.

Tailored support and advocacy should be made available to assist young carers to access training, higher education and employment and schools/ colleges and Careers Wales should provide appropriate careers advice tailored to accommodate caring responsibilities.

Manylion Cysylltu-Contact Details

ACTION FOR CHILDREN - GWEITHREDU DROS BLANT
Viv Laing
Rheolwr Polisi A Materion Cyhoeddus, Policy & Public Affairs Manager
Ffôn Tel:  029 20 222127
E-Bost Email: Vivienne.Laing@Actionforchildren.Org.Uk

BARNARDO’S CYMRU
Andy James
Cyfarwyddwr Cynorthwyol, Polisi Assistant Director, Policy
Ffôn Tel:  01639 620945  
E-Bost Email: Andy.James@Barnardos.Org.Uk

Y GROES GOCH BRYDEINIG - BRITISH RED CROSS
Wayne Morgan
Uwch-Reolwr Gwasanaethau, Senior Services Manager
Ffôn Tel 029 20 815680  
E-Bost Email: Wmorgan@Redcross.Org.Uk

PLANT YNG NGHYMRU - CHILDREN IN WALES
Lynne Hill
Cyfarwyddwr Polisi, Policydirector
Ffôn Tel 029 20 342434  
E-Bost Email: Lynne.Hill@Childreninwales.Org.Uk

GWASANAETH GOFALWYR POWYS - POWYS CARERS SERVICE
Gyles Palmer,
Cyfarwyddwr, Director
Ffôn Tel 01597 823800  
E-Bost Email: Gyles@Powyscarers.Org.Uk

YMDDIRIEDOLAETH Y DYWYSOGES FRENHINOL I OFALWYR A GOFAL CROESFFYRDD - PRINCESS ROYAL TRUST FOR CARERS AND CROSSROADS CARE
Martyn Pengilley
Swyddog Polisi A’r Cynulliad, Policy And Assembly Officer
Ffôn Tel 029 2009 0087  
Fax 029 2022 8859  
E-Bost Email: Martyn.Pengilley@Crossroads.Org.Uk

TROS GYNNAL
Jackie Murphy
Cyfarwyddwr Cynorthwyol, Assistant Director
Ffôn Tel:  029 20 396974  
E-Bost Email:  Jackie.Murphy@Trosgynnal.Org.Uk