New initiative to transform the lives of young carers in Coventry and Warwickshire
Around 40% of young and young adult carers say they don’t get enough support to balance caring and education
Last updated 16th Apr 2024
Organisations across Coventry and Warwickshire can sign up to ensure young carers are identified early for support, live free from poverty, and can access education, training, and employment opportunities.
The Government, councils, businesses, and schools are being urged by national charity Carers Trust to sign a landmark new commitment that aims to transform the lives of over one million young carers.
The Young Carers Covenant is being launched on Young Carers Action Day (13 March) - an annual event led by Carers Trust to raise awareness of young and young adult carers, the challenges they face, and their need for far greater support.
The Covenant sets out 10 key goals, as well as actions that organisations and individuals can take to help young carers reach their full potential.
There are more than one million carers aged under 18 in the UK, many reliant on local carer organisations for support.
At least 50,000 children and young people, including 3,000 aged just five to nine, spend 50 hours or more a week looking after ill or disabled family members.
A 2023 Carers Trust survey of carers aged under 25 showed 33% always or usually struggle to balance caring with school, college or university work.
Two-fifths (40%) said they don’t get the help they need to balance caring and learning.
The Young Carers Covenant aims to tackle these issues by asking organisations and individuals to commit to do what they can to make its goals a reality.
Suggested actions include employers committing to more flexible working practices for young adult carers.
Schools and colleges can appoint a member of staff as a young carer lead, tasked with ensuring support is available for them.
Carers Trust is calling for the Government to make it a requirement for all schools, colleges and universities to have a young carers lead and policy in place.
Carers Trust’s CEO, Kirsty McHugh, said: "The lives of young carers in the UK are very different to those of their classmates. Many spend time making sure medication is taken by their loved ones, cooking meals and even running household finances. Without proper support, these huge responsibilities can overwhelm young carers and have a devastating impact on their education and future prospects. Having a young carer lead and a policy setting out what support is available in every school would make a huge difference to their lives, helping to identify and support them."
There are almost 8000 registered young carers across Coventry and Warwickshire.
Kelly Butler, from Carers Trust Heart of England, said: "Having the covenant in place, having people sign up to it, raises awareness to the problems that young carers face on a daily basis. So, the more awareness out there, the better opportunities these young people will have to be identified as early as possible, to make sure that they've got support for them and for their families. They've got choices in their lives, and they've got that fair future, which is the aim of Young Carers Action Day."