Number of Essex children working as unpaid carers soars
The number has almost doubled in the last two years
The number of children who are unpaid carers has increased by almost 50 per increase in two years.
Essex County Council says the increase is due to more young carers being identified and assessed.
The number of unpaid carers under 18 increased from 2,482 in 2021/22 to 3,407 in 2022/23. Between April 2023 and August 2023, the number has gone up further to 3,577 -a 44 per cent rise since 2021/22.
Additionally, as of August this year, 18 people under the age of 18 are not in education or training because they have an unpaid carers responsibility.
That figure has remained largely unchanged since 2021 when there were 20 not in education or training because of unpaid carers’ responsibilities.
Carers Week in March also marked one year since the Essex County Council launched its All-Age Carers Strategy – which includes support through youth clubs.
Jarde, who attends Stanway youth club with Action for Family Carers said: I don’t really have a lot of time to make friends with them always helping my mum and my brothers.”
Oli said: “So I like coming to youth club to just get your mind off something and just have a break.”
However, youngsters in school say their responsibilities impact their education. An Essex girl has described how she had to become a “second parent” to her younger brother when she became a young carer for him at 12 years old. After her brother was diagnosed with global development delay (GDD) and autism Skye had to help her single mum, who is his primary carer.
Secondary school was “difficult” for Skye. Now an adult, she said balancing homework, social life and looking after her brother took a toll on her friendships as she looked after him on the weekends instead of going out. But Skye did take the opportunity to speak out about her brother’s condition and the responsibilities of a young carer to inform her friends about her situation and how to treat people with disabilities.
Multitasking between the responsibilities of helping with her brother’s conditional needs and school life meant that Skye had to deal with time management a lot quicker than everybody else. She had to plan her time around making sure her brother was ready for school in the mornings as well as herself and also had to make sure she had enough time to look after him in the evening, as well as do her revision and homework.
But while helping her brother, she did fall behind at times, which hit quite hard for her as she considered herself a high achiever and tried really hard in her classes. She said: “Sometimes that makes your own needs fall a bit short because of his disability and extra care.”
The council says it is “committed” to identifying and supporting young carers through an assessment process.
A spokesperson for Essex County Council said: “The increase in the number of Young Carers in Essex is a reflection of the fact that the Essex Young Carers Service is proactively engaging with young people and more young carers are being identified and assessed.
“Young carers provide invaluable support to their families. We are committed to enabling them to feel supported, ensuring caring duties are age and gender appropriate and making sure their role is acknowledged and their achievements are celebrated.
“The council is committed to identifying and supporting young carers through an assessment process. Bespoke support based on their level of need and caring responsibilities is then put in place. We aim to ensure young carers are not disadvantaged due to their caring role and have the same opportunities as their peers to be young and enjoy life.
“All young carers are eligible for a young carer’s assessment, which helps us identify if they or their families have any specific unmet needs.
“Essex County Council Youth Services work with a wide range of partners to provide young carers and their families with the relevant support and guidance when they need it.
“If you are concerned about a child or young person who is providing care for a family member, you can also submit a referral form to Essex County Council.
“More information on the support available can be found at https://www.essex.gov.uk/young-carers.”