Young Carers Strategy
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A young carer is someone under 18 who helps look after someone in their family, or a friend, who is ill, disabled, has a mental health condition or misuses drugs or alcohol.
As of September 2024, Park Lane Academy has 4.6% of its cohort identified as or being assessed as Young Carers. This means that within our academy over 20 children are helping to look after someone else in their family resulting in an impact on their day to day lives that other children in the school do not need to think about.
National figures shows 0.9% of Young Carers registered in secondary schools, highlighting the level within the academy and the necessity to recognise and support our Young Carers. This is why we monitor and track this group carefully, putting in the support and networking needed to make sure these children are not disadvantaged within their educational journey.
WHAT MIGHT A YOUNG CARER HAVE TO DEAL WITH?
A Park Lane Academy young carer may have to do one or more of the following every single day:
- Practical tasks, such as cooking, housework and shopping
- Physical care, such as helping someone out of bed
- Emotional support, such as talking to someone who is distressed
- Personal care, such as helping someone dress
- Managing the family budget, collecting prescriptions and giving medicine
- Helping someone communicate
- Looking after brothers and sisters
Being a young carer can have a big impact on the things that are important to growing up. It can affect a young person’s health, social life and self-confidence. Many young carers struggle to juggle their education and caring which can cause pressure and stress.
Carers Trust’s latest report into the experiences of young carers and young adult carers, ‘Being a young carer is not a choice; it’s just what we do’ found that 1 in 3 young carers and young adult carers said they struggle to balance caring with education. A cross-European study of young carers also found that 37% of young carers said their performance had suffered as a result of caring responsibilities, and 36% reported being bullied specifically about caring.
But young people can learn lots of useful skills by being a young carer and because we know our students we can help them to overcome the challenges.
HOW PARK LANE ACADEMY SUPPORTS ITS YOUNG CARERS
Park Lane Academy helps young carers to cope with their caring role through services delivered by our Academy Welfare Lead and team of pastoral champions. Activities offered include:
- Activities and breaks advertised through Young Carers Service
- Peer and staff support including access to Well-being area
- 1-2-1 Support sessions from Young Carers worker in school half termly offering advice and guidance and age appropriate information.
- Emotional and wellbeing support
- Local support planning and application to local support
- Training in topics such as health and safety, wellbeing and life skills through Young Carers
- Supporting families and young carers to apply for appropriate benefits
- Support and intervention
EARLY INTERVENTION
Our Young carer services offers a range of intervention and prevention support to young people with caring responsibilities aimed at:
- Identifying and supporting young carers early
- Supporting to reduce inappropriate or excessive caring roles
- Improving young carers' physical, mental and emotional health
- Reducing barriers to accessing and sustaining education
- Improving young carers’ life chances and helping them reach their potential
KEY CONTACT
If at anytime you wish to discuss the support we put into Young Carers, please contact the Academy Welfare Lead
Mrs J Turner
jturner@parklane.spacademies.org
