Wiltshire young carers take steps to boost understanding of their lives
A Young Carers Council has been set up
Young carers in Wiltshire have been using their experiences to improve support for peers in day-to-day life and at school.
Through the council-run Voice and Participation service, a Young Carers Council has been created to allow their voices to be heard and help shape the future.
The Young Carers Council is ready to make it's mark on Young Carers Action Day (12/3), which will see national calls for young carers to be given better support, with the theme for this being 'Give Me A Break'.
Youth Action Wiltshire is working with Bath Philharmonia’s Creative Learning Team to create a song with young carers based on the national day theme. The project will emphasise the importance of rest and respite for young carers. The plan is to link the song to the Young Carers Assessment process and available support helping young people who have a caring role but are not currently registered as a young carer.
The Carers Council has created a pack of resources to help people understand their lived experiences.
It includes videos raising awareness about young carers, and how they are creating meaningful change in Wiltshire, and the publication of the ‘Voice of Young Carers’ magazine to share their experiences as a young carer, fun activities which give them time away from their caring responsibilities, and local services who can support them.
After feedback from young carers, a new support and training service has been created for secondary schools to work towards a Young Carers in Schools Award, as well as setting up workshops to primary and secondary schools.
Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children Services said: “It is so important that our young carers have a platform to share their experiences. No one truly understands what it is like to be a young carer except those living it – balancing schoolwork and additional responsibilities. It’s important they have a voice, they can share experiences and receive the support they deserve. At Wiltshire Council we provide a range of support but there is always more we can do.“