Young Carers Action Day - 13 March 2024

1.0        Background 

Warwickshire County Council (WCC) and its partners supports Young Carers Action Day 2024, which is a national event to recognise the work carried out by young carers to support a family member or friend. Carers can be under immense strain, but over the past couple of years, the covid pandemic has been a particularly trying time for those who have caring responsibilities. This year the theme is “Fair futures for Young Carers” hosted by Carers Trust.

According to census 2021 data, there are 1500 children under 18 years and a about 1700 19-24 young adults in Warwickshire who care for someone who has a physical or mental illness/disability or someone who needs support or struggles with substance misuse. Over 300 young people care for someone for more than 50 hours per week.  However, many young carers remain unseen and unsupported. 

The first ever All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers, supported by Carers Trust published a report in November 2023. The inquiry showed evidence that too many children nationally (15,000) are providing care for more than 50 hours week looking after relatives who may be ill, have a disability or affected by an addiction. The enquiry estimated that as many as 1 million children nationally are caring for someone. 

Evidence also has highlighted that due to having a caring role many children will fall behind at school and this will damage their life potential and opportunities as an adult. The inquiry also showed that despite this many young people are not receiving adequate support and can go unidentified for support on average for 3 years and some significantly more. 

The inquiry also heard: 

• There are significant waiting lists for assessments and support in some areas with services struggling to meet demand and other areas where particular groups of young carers cannot access any support.
• Being a young carer impacts on school attainment and attendance, with young carers missing 27 school days per year on average.
• Young adult carers are substantially (38%) less likely to achieve a university degree than their peers without a caring role.
• Young adult carers are less likely to be employed than their peers without a caring role, particularly if they are providing significant levels of care.
• Young people with caring responsibilities are more likely to self-harm than young people without caring responsibilities. Of children who do self-harm, young carers are twice as likely to attempt to take their own life than non-carers.

 The impact of caring on young people is stark and more needs to be done to support and safeguard the future of our young people.  

1.1        Support for Young Carers

Caring Together Warwickshire is the council’s commissioned support for young people provided by Carers Trust Heart of England. The service provides direct support and advocates for children and young people who have caring responsibilities for family members. They also enable young people to engage with their peers and interests. The service has registered over 800 young carers and young adult carers across Warwickshire. The service also supports families and work with schools and other health and social care partners. As part of the service young carers can access 121 support as well as peer groups and activities. 

The County Council in partnership with Carers Trust Heart of England, and other partners will be promoting Young Carers Action Day locally with themed activities targeting a range of audiences through several channels including the media, social media, and publications. The council is committed to improving the support for young people who care for some so that this minimises the impact on their future. 

For information on the main sources of support currently available for all carers please visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/carers/. A summary of carer support can also be found in the Carers Information Leaflet attached.

2.0        Young Carers Action Day 2024:  

Outlined below are draft proposals and plans for Young Carers Action Day 2024. Our providers and local community services will be providing opportunities for young carers to participate in Young Carers Action Day 2024. 

We will look to: 

• Improve the recognition of young carers status and engaging with young     carers in current services and the development of future services.
• Anyone who regularly provides unpaid care to someone who could not cope has the right an assessment and to support.
• Raise the profile and awareness of carers and caring to the public. Carer Awareness raising via the free Young Carer Aware training, communications, and provider activities.
• Encourage all partners to work to support and identify young carers more readily and embed young carer identification in all that we do to support the future of young people who have a caring role.

 2.1 Young Carers Action Day Activities Outline and partnerships

Outline of social media messages 

Facebook  

If you’re a young person who cares for your mum, dad or sibling, go to www.caringtogetherwarwickshire.org.uk As well as meeting other young people, you can also get time to yourself to join in with activities with others who help out at home too. #YCAD2024

Twitter 

Have you heard about Young Carers Caring Together Warwickshire? If you look after your mum, dad or sibling – come and meet other young people who do the same! Go to www.caringtogetherwarwickshire.org.uk #YCAD2024

Instagram 

“Young Carers Caring Together Warwickshire allows me to join others who care for a parent or relative. While I am at an activity club, mum has someone to care for her, which leaves me to thrash my mates in a game of footie!” #YoungCarers come and see how #CaringTogetherWarwickshire can help you and the person you care for. Go to  www.caringtogetherwarwickshire.org.uk#YCAD2024

Caring Together Warwickshire Activities 

• Time Capsule Activities will be taking place every day week commencing 11th March 2024.
• Filming of families and young carers will take place about their aspirations for the future and what they need in terms of support in their caring role to be able to achieve those. We will also be filming Young Adult Carers and Adult Carers who used to be Young Carers for added context as to how times and support has changed over the years.
• Wednesday 13th March 2024 – Video(s) will be launched.
• Pledge Cards will be launched to all partners to support a ‘Fair Future for Young Carers’

 2.2 Partnership and Audiences WCC will be working in partnership with the following stakeholders to promote Young Carers Action Day 2024 (this list is not exhaustive): Carers and carer advocates, Councillors and Members, Carers Trust, , Warwickshire Young carers, Warwickshire Parent Carers Voice, Family Information Service, Advocacy, Social prescribing, health champions, Community Development Team, Coventry and Warwickshire CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group), Warwickshire Community And Voluntary Action (WCAVA), Libraries, GPs (General Practitioner), pharmacies Schools/colleges, Acute Trusts (outpatients A&E, discharge), Domiciliary care providers, Day centres, public health, all commissioned services and providers, Local businesses in private sector,  Leisure centres (gyms), Grapevine, hospice, Specialist services Age UK, Alzheimer's Society, Dementia Connect Services, mental health specialist carer services, staff network, sheltered accommodation, Citizens Advice Bureau, internal teams Adult social care teams, Fire service, District and Borough Councils, Coventry City Council, Audiences (not exhaustive): 

• Warwickshire County Council (raise awareness, Carer Aware Training, MECC (Making Every Contact Count), principles, identify and support)
• Professionals/partners
• Health (Clinical Commissioning Group, General Practitioners, Primary Care Networks, Pharmacies)
• District and Borough Councils
• Parish Councils
• Warwickshire Community and Voluntary Action – and voluntary organisations that support carers Carers4Carers, Pam Britton Trust
• Equality and Inclusion Partnership (EQuIP)
• Commissioned services
• Businesses and Employers (Federation Small Businesses, Local Enterprise Partnerships, Chamber of Commerce)
• Hubs
• Schools/colleges
• Community and faith groups
• Public
• Carers
• Employees and employers
• Communities, friends, and family

 Campaign impact will be measured by the following: 

• Increased traffic to WCC website and enquiries to customer services.
• Increased enquires and referrals to provider services and website traffic
• Increased uptake of the Young Carer Aware Training modules internal and external
• Increased referrals from health, social care, and specialist carer support services

   3.0        What you can do to support Young Carers Action Day 2024: 

• Please use your social media platforms to raise awareness of informal carers, caring in Warwickshire and services and support available #fairfuturesforyoungcarers.
• Share the Carers Information Leaflet with your colleagues and networks or include an article on informal unpaid carers in your newsletters or bulletins.
• Start a discuss with your constituents on caring for family or friends and raise awareness at your surgeries of support available.
• In your community meetings raise the profile of those who care for family or neighbours and ensure your constituents know how to find information on support for carers
• Start a blog or write to your local paper on caring in your local area inviting residents to express their experience of caring.
• Host a coffee morning or tea break in support of young carers with constituents.
• Encourage young people in your area to reach out for help via school. There is also online wellbeing support at www.KOOTH.com/
• Make a pledge to raise awareness or do something different to help or recognise carers and the support available locally and post on your social media or local bulletin or newsletters.
• Take only 30mins to do the free online Young Carer Aware training course and encourage others to do so. (https://youngcareraware.warwickshire.gov.uk/index.html?lms=none&enable-assessment=true)
• For further information and resources on Young Carers Action Day 2024 from the host organisation Carers Trust visit www.caringtogetherwarwickshire.org.uk/.