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Supporting Young Carers in Essex
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Essex Strategy for Young Carers 2009/2011
Supporting young carers in Essex
Many of today’s young carers
will be the adult carers of tomorrow.
Doing something now to promote
their equality of opportunity, health
and information needs is as much
a preventative strategy and a sound
investment as it is a matter of social
justice and a mark of a decent society.
“
”Professor Saul Becker, Loughborough University, 2004
index Section A – The Strategy
• Why Essex needs a strategy for young carers
• The current support network in Essex
• Who are young carers?
• What does a young carer do?
• Caring for the carer
• The Essex Strategy for Young Carers
• Links to other strategies
Section B – The Action Plan
4
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
5
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
Why Essex needs a strategy for young carers
There are approximately 175,000 young
carers in the UK. National research indicates
that there are between 4,500
and 6,000 young carers in Essex.
Of these only 500 are registered
with support groups, although
research indicates that there are
many more young carers who
remain unidentifi ed, or ‘hidden’
from offi cial statistics.
In order to provide better
outcomes for young carers we need to
develop a strategic plan to ensure that:
a) they receive the same opportunities
as their peers and
b) their inequalities are consistently
managed across Essex
This document will highlight the
challenges facing young people with
caring responsibilities, and the need
for their role(s) to be appropriately
recognised and supported. It sets out
why Essex needs a strategy for young
carers, the key issues to be addressed
and how these fi t with the Every Child
Matters outcomes.
• Prioritise future investment
and activity
• Establish a working protocol for professionals to use in supporting young carers
• Provide guidance on how professionals can work together to effectively identify and support young carers in Essex
• Raise awareness of the diverse needs of young carers
• Provide equitable and accessible information, support and services to all the county’s young carers
The current support network in Essex
Until April 2005 Young Carers provision
in Essex comprised 5 projects, delivered
by colleagues in Adult Social Care. Since
moving services to the Schools, Children
and Families Directorate there has been
unprecedented growth in the number
of projects and services available to
young carers.
There are currently 14 Young
Carers Projects across the
County, working closely and
in partnership with schools,
health partners, the voluntary
sector, Integrated Youth
Services (IYS) and Social Care to provide
good quality personal development and
respite opportunities. However the
projects are district based, and until
recently lacked countywide strategic
direction. This is being addressed by
regular conferences, network groups
and training.
The current network of services has
developed following a local needs-led
model; as a result, services look very
different in each area. While it is
acceptable that there is a variety of
delivery models, we must ensure that
each young carer has access to a
minimum standard of support, designed
to meet their particular needs.
With the network now nearing capacity,
there is a danger that some young carers
may not be able to access the support
they need.
We urgently need to explore new ways of
supporting young carers, that are not
necessarily or entirely dependant on their
attendance at a young carers group.
While the past two years has
seen considerable improvement
in the support available to
young carers in Essex, we must
ensure that this support
continues to refl ect this group’s
changing and complex needs.
It is essential therefore, that we set out the
responsibilities and expectations of all our
support partners, and defi ne their
respective roles within a locally delivered,
coherent strategy.
“Carers save the public purse about
£57 billion per year(roughly calculated at £1.6 billion in
Essex alone)
A strategic plan will enable all those
working with young carers in Essex -
the police, social, learning and health
professionals, support agencies, voluntary
and community groups - to
clarify their current roles and
responsibilities within
the wider support network.
An action plan (section B)
outlines the current situation
for young carers, where
support is needed, how it
will be delivered and those
responsible for managing and monitoring
the various initiatives proposed.
“One in ten Young Carers is caring for more than one person”
Section A - The Strategy
6
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
7
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
being excluded from school
and family breakdown, the
more likely it is that they will
experience further negative
outcomes . Outcomes also
vary by race and gender.”
(2003, TSO)
Caring for another person can be a
positive, satisfying experience, if the
carer is appropriately supported.
They may accept that their caring role is
‘the norm’, and do not see themselves
as a carer in the conventional sense.
Who are young carers?
The term ‘young carer’ applies to anyone
under the age of 18 whose life is in some
way restricted because of the
need to take responsibility for
the care of a person on a
regular basis. They may be the
main carer, or provide partial
care for an adult or sibling. (In
Essex, Young Carers Support
Groups have worked with children as
young as fi ve years old.) The person being
cared for may have a long-term illness
(including HIV and AIDS),
a physical or sensory
impairment, or learning
diffi culties. Alternatively they
may be experiencing mental
distress, domestic violence,
poverty, or be affected by
alcohol/substance misuse.
• The adult does not have the appropriate level of care and/or equipment,
and relies on the young person to help ‘bridge the gap’ (although they may
not approve of a younger family member being burdened with this
additional responsibility)
• The family is wary of seeking/receiving external help, as it may suggest
(to others) an inability to cope themselves. They may view this ‘outside
intervention’ as a potential risk to family stability
• The child/young person willingly accepts a caring role within the family unit
and is only expected to do tasks that are age appropriate and does not want
their caring responsibilities taken away
Young carers may have taken on their role because:
“56% of Young Craers
are living in lone parent families”
What does a young carer do? A young carer’s role will vary according
to the nature of the illness or disability of
the person they care for and the situation
they live in. The majority of young carers
provide support for parents or siblings,
with a smaller number caring for
grandparents or other family members.
In some cases the young carer is looking
after more than one person.
The caring role ranges from general
nursing type care and domestic chores,
to providing intimate personal care,
emotional support including childcare
responsibilities.
Evidence shows young carers experience
the same levels of privilege and
disadvantage as other young people;
however disadvantage is often
compounded by their caring role.
27% of all young carers of secondary
school-age are experiencing problems
of some kind, while 40% of children
caring for someone
who misuses drugs
or alcohol have
educational diffi culties.
Every Child Matters
states that “the more
risk factors a child
experiences, such as
However a growing number of young carers are concerned about:
• The burden of responsibility
• not being able to cope (of letting a vulnerable person down)
• having a relative/loved one taken into care (or being taken into care themselves)
due to a lack of appropriate supportt
“20% of Young Craers and their families recieve no support, except for their contact with a specialist young carer’s project”
8
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
9
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
Who they helpWho they help
Mother
Father
Brother or Sister
Grandparent
Other
58%
1%4%
24%
13%
Perform Domestic Tasks
Administer general care
Offer Emotional Support
Give intimate Personal care
Provide child care for non-
disabled brothers or sisters
Provide other types of care
72%29%
7%7%
21%
43%57%
Physical Health Problems
Mental Ill Health
Learning Disability
Sensory Impairment
Other Illness/Disability
55%26%
12%
4% 3%
Why they care
How they care
Caring for the carers Most young carers manage to maintain a
relatively ‘normal’ life; attending school
regularly, achieving good
results and displaying no
obvious signs of being unable
to cope. Some young people
will be experienced carers,
who see their role as a way
of developing self-esteem
and a lasting friendship with
the care receiver.
Evidence shows that young carers are
more likely to face disadvantage and
isolation while not achieving
as well as their peers, as a
direct result of their caring
role. While they can be
extremely diffi cult to identify,
or may not consider their role
in any way unusual, young
carers are entitled to the same educational,
social and leisure opportunities as their peers.
In particular we need to address how to:
• Identify and assess young carers effi ciently
• deliver a range of need-based services, from respite through to intensive social care interventions (via our internal and external partners)
• enable young carers to carry out their role by providing appropriate support i.e. fi rst aid, health & safety, emergency planning
• celebrate and recognise their achievements
• involve them in the design and deliveryof services
• offer them valid choices
• listen to their concerns – give them a ‘voice’
• tackle the inequalities they face i.e. personal development, education, social
• understand the emotional and physical impact of caring for a loved one, particularly if care is
needed on a long-term basis
“It is vital that we support as many
young carers as possible”
10
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
11
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
Being Healthy
To encourage young carers to enjoy good
physical, mental and emotional health,
we intend to:
Staying Safe
When each young carer is identifi ed we
expect to:
Enjoying and Achieving
We will improve the educational, leisure
and play opportunities of all young carers
accessing our service by:
Making a Positive Contribution
All identifi ed young carers should be
given greater opportunities to choose
and control the services they access.
We expect this to happen by:
• issue every young carer with a
free leisure pass to use at a
designated centre (for swimming,
other activities)
• offer 1:1 support and counselling
as required
• provide access to respite and
other mainstream services
• carry out a timely assessment of
their individual needs, following
the common assessment
process (CAF)
• provide access to a local support
group if required
• enable them to develop their own
individual emergency plan, to cope
with day to day emergencies in
the home
• offering accredited activities
through young carers’ groups
• regularly celebrating the
achievements of young people
• distributing information via schools,
youth centres and other education
providers, to raise awareness of the
needs of young carers – and to help
them develop strategies to meet
these needs
• agreeing a transition protocol for
young carers moving to adulthood,
with colleagues from adult
social care
Achieving Economic Wellbeing
To help young carers to overcome eco-
nomic disadvantage, and support them
in achieving their full potential, The Direct
Support Fund will allow professionals and
young people to access money, to provide
immediate fi nancial support. This will
help young carers to:
Asking the questions
It is imperative that all professionals in
Essex have an understanding of young
carers and the questions they need to ask
when supporting a family. Without a clear
understanding of a young carer’s specifi c
circumstances i.e. the frequency of the
care given, who is being cared for, how
care is given, any support provided could
be ill timed, inadequate or inappropriate.
When assessments are carried out on
adults with disabilities and serious
medical conditions, there is evidence to
show that the question of ‘do you have
any dependent children?’ is rarely being
asked, despite the fact these are often
the young carers we wish to target.
This information would be crucial if, for
example, an adult is in the process of
being discharged from hospital, into the
care of a 10 year old. The focus of an
assessment is, rightly, on the person with
the care needs, but consideration must
also be given to the young carer. Current
evidence suggests that young carers
often feel ‘overlooked’, and in some
cases ‘ignored’.
• allowing young carers to decide
where and when they meet,
and who supports them cont...
• asking for their input -
expectations, observations,
ideas, recommendations
• encouraging them to become actively involved in Youth Councils throughout the County
• overcome and redress any economic and social disadvantages
they face
• access respite and/or personal development opportunities
• have some infl uence over how this dedicated funding is allocated
12
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
13
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
The main objectives of the Essex Strategy for Young Carers are to:
The Essex Strategy for Young Carers is
supported by a carer-led action plan that
aims to deliver appropriate, timely and
equitable support to all young carers
across Essex.
Its themes are based on the fi ve key
outcomes for children and young
people in Every Child Matters (TSO 2003),
with two additional themes . By working in
partnership with other statutory organisations
and by liaising directly with the young carers
themselves professionals will be able to
deliver more coherent, targeted and effective
The Essex Strategy for Young Carers Links to Other Strategies
The Children & Young People’s Plan has
several objectives relating to the Essex
Strategy for Young Carers, namely to:
Adult Carers’ Strategy
The primary aim of the Adult Carers’
Strategy is:
To establish a carers’ strategy that is
carer-led and works towards ensuring that
the right services are available to carers,
and that those services are appropriate,
easy to access, equitable and timely in
their delivery. This will be achieved by
working in partnership, by recognising,
respecting and supporting both adults
and young carers in their own right and
by training and supporting staff.
Its objectives are to:
• acknowledge the contribution that
young carers make as a carer
• ensure young carers do not have to
take on inappropriate types and
levels of caring, which can affect
their school attendance, emotional
and physical wellbeing, or future
life opportunities
• work with partners to identify any
young carers who are not accessing
support, and ensure partners
understand their responsibilities
in delivering this support
• provide high quality respite and
personal development opportunities
for all young carers
• support the families of young carers
and recognise the strength of the
family unit
• promote educational achievement
and attainment
• provide opportunities for young
people to form and maintain
appropriate peer group
support networks
• engage young carers in the
development and evaluation of
care services, allowing them
choice and controlt
• maintain the health and well-being
of young carers
• help young carers to overcome
socio-economic disadvantage to
achieve their full potential
• support young carers in their
transition to becoming adult carers
• monitor and evaluate support
services effectively and appropriately
• increase the number of young
carers identifi ed in Essex to 800
• provide regular respite
opportunities to 500 young
carers, linked to their personal
development
• produce at least 130 individual
home emergency plans, delivered
as required
• recognise the contribution of young
carers to Essex
• Offer at least 50 individual young
carers one respite or personal
development opportunity, via
access to the Direct Support Fund
• Provide training and awareness
raising sessions to 150
professionals working with young
carers across Essex
• provide a range of information,
support and help to carers who
provide substantial care on a
regular basis
• help to maintain carers’ health
and wellbeing
• enable carers to sustain their caring
role as long as they chose
to continue
• ensure all services and service
development are carer-led, and
where possible, in line with carers’
wants and needs
• provide equitable and accessible
services for all carers
15
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
Action Plan
The Essex Young Carers
Section B - The Action PlanThe Essex Young Carers Action Plan
This plan is for all professionals working in public, voluntary and community
settings. As already expressed, the strategic themes are based on the fi ve
key outcomes for children and young people in Every Child Matters.
1. Being Healthy We will provide all young carers with opportunities
to have a fulfi lling and enjoyable childhood.
2. Staying Safe We will ensure that all Young carers and their families
feel safe and secure where they play, live, go to
school and work.
3. Enjoying We will ensure that our schools and colleges enable
and Achieving all young carers to aspire, learn, achieve highly and
achieve their full potential and enjoy life.
4. Making a Positive Children and young people with caring responsibilities
Contribution are allowed greater choice and control over the services
they access.
5. Achieving Economic We will seek to reduce the impact of poverty and the
Wellbeing economic downturn on the lives of all young carers
and their families seeking to improve their life chances.
Theme What The Theme Means for Young Carers
16
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
17
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
What happens now?
Although there has been some localised awareness raising about children and young
people with caring responsibilities in schools and other settings, there is no joined up
approach to training teachers, schools governors health professionals and others in
supporting young carers.
What we want to happen
We will provide all young carers with opportunities to have a fulfi lling and
enjoyable childhood.
see table opposite
1. Being Healthy
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CWD Children with Disabilities – CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service County Lead(s) and CWD Service Managers
SHA School Health Advisors EYPDAS Essex Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Service
ASC Adult Social Care EYCDO Essex Young Carers Development Offi cer
PCT’s / Primary Care Trusts DAAT Drug and Alcohol Action TeamSEPT South Essex Partnership Trust
EWS Education Welfare Service FC Family CentresYOS Youth Offending Service YCP Young Carers Projects CYPSP Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnerships - County Lead and Individual Chairs – Locality Level
ECC Essex County Council TASCC’s Teams around the School, Child and Community
IYS Integrated Youth Services ECVYS Essex County Voluntary Youth ServiceMHP Mental Health Partnership LC Leisure Centres Agencies and Trusts
FE Post 16 Education B/D Local Borough and District Councils Councils
Key to partners named in Action Plan
18
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
19
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
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What happens now?
The 13 Essex Young Carers Support Projects receive their referrals from a variety of sourc-
es and are the main support for young carers in Essex. Social Care Children’s Assessment
Teams thresholds are set at a level that mean limited numbers of the County’s young
carers would meet the criteria for an assessment under the 1989 Children’s Act. There is
no protocol between adult and children based services about children and young people
with caring responsibilities, and activity is therefore dependent on the understanding
of individual professionals. Overall, there is limited public awareness about the needs
of children and young people with caring responsibilities and the support available for
them in the County.
What we want to happen
We will ensure that all Young carers and their families feel safe and secure where they
play, live, go to school and work.
see table opposite and on the next page
2. Staying Safe
cont
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20
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
21
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
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22
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
23
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
What happens now?
All Young Carers Support Groups recognise the importance of working collaboratively with
the County’s schools. However a named young carer’s lead is not available in any school
- all groups must have workers who are happy to work together with schools as part of
their generic role. It is currently unclear what information, advice and support is available
to children and young people with caring responsibilities in the school environment, and
to what extent teaching and support staff are aware of any young carers in their school.
Young Carers Support Workers & EWS suggest a number of children and young people
with caring responsibilities experience bullying in school. There is no clear picture of the
number of young carers who are non-school attendees because of their caring role; as a
result, we are unable to include them in this strategic plan. We therefore need a major
piece of research around non-attendance as a matter of urgency.
What we want to happen
We will ensure that our schools and colleges enable all young carers to aspire, learn,
achieve highly and achieve their full potential and enjoy life.
see table opposite
3. Enjoying and achieving
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24
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
25
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
What happens now?
Informal consultation and feedback is gained by the Young Carers Support Workers con-
cerning how children and young people with caring responsibilities feel about their lives
and the services that are offered to them and their family.
There is no formal process for young carers to have a voice in the design and delivery
of services available to them.
What we want to happen
Children and young people with caring responsibilities are allowed greater choice and
control over the services they access.
see table opposite
4. Making A Positive Contribution
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26
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
27
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
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�What happens now?
Social inclusion is part of the Healthy Schools Project for Essex. Essex Integrated Youth
Services are working on a variety of projects with different groups of young people to ad-
dress issues around social inclusion. There is no targeted work addressing the specifi c
needs of young people with caring responsibilities who are in transition to adulthood.
What we want to happen
We will seek to reduce the impact of poverty and the economic downturn on the lives
of all young carers and their families seeking to improve their life chances.
see table opposite
5. Achieving Economic Wellbeing
* Th
e Ca
rers
(Equ
al O
ppor
tuni
ties
) Act
20
04, r
equi
res
coun
cils
to in
form
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ers
of th
eir r
ight
to
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asse
ssm
ent w
hich
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s in
to a
ccou
nt th
eir o
utsi
de in
tere
sts
(wor
k, s
tudy
, lei
sure
).
28
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
29
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
What happens now?
Each Support Group bids yearly to the County Council for the Young Carers Funding, pro-
viding data as to how they spend the monies. The majority of funding for the Young Carers
Projects comes from applying for charitable donations of short term funding and the Car-
ers Special Grant.
What we want to happen
see table opposite and continuing on following page
6. Implementing the Strategy
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Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
31
Young Carers Strategy 2009/2011
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This information is issued by
Essex County Council Schools children and Families
By post;
Schools Children and Families
PO Box 47
County Hall
Market Road
Chelmsford
CM1 1LH
Tel: 01245 437314
email: [email protected]
Web: www.essex.gov.uk/Schoolschildren&families
The Information contained in this document can be translated
and/or made available in alternative formats on request.
Published June 2009
DS
09 1
758