Supporting young carers in schools October 2010 Daniel Phelps dphelps@carers

1. Supporting young carers in schools October 2010 Daniel Phelps dphelps@carers.org

2. ‘When I found out about her family situation I suddenly understood why she was often late and seldom did her homework. I was amazed at just how well she had done but frustrated that we as staff had not known.’ (Teacher)

3. Impacts • 27% of young carers aged 11-15 are experiencing educational difficulties • 40 % are missing school or have other indicators of educational difficulties. When caring for a relative with drug or alcohol problems) • Not enough time for homework • Victim of bullying or the perpetrator of bullying, isolated, few friendships • Behavioral problems • Unable to attend after school activities • Underachieving, absent and excluded • Long term impacts on further education, employment and training

4. Impacts on further education, employment and training • Being a young adult carer (16-24) reduces chances of being in either full time or part time work (Yeandle and Buckner 2008) • Leaving home is problematic and complex; moving out is often delayed. • College is generally more flexible for carers • At university: “caring from a distance”, returning home every weekend • Combining caring and work is very challenging • Low self confidence, lack of skills and knowledge about benefits and rights impedes success

5. Why should schools support young carers and families? • ‘Children and young people will be protected from inappropriate caring and have the support they need to learn, develop and thrive, to enjoy positive childhoods and to achieve against all the Every Child Matters outcomes.’ The Carers’ Strategy 2008 • Up to 30 young carers in an average secondary school • Supporting them can improve attendance, behaviour; well-being and achievement

6. Working Together To Support Young Carers (ADASS/ADCS 2009) • Encourages schools to: • Have a named staff member with lead responsibility for young carers (School Lead) • Have in place a policy to encourage practice that identifies and supports young carers • Download from www.adass.org.uk

7. Supporting Young Carers (Ofsted 2009) • Councils and partners should ensure that professionals within universal services are aware of the needs of young carers, so they can be identified and supported

8. The whole school approach • ‘The WSA can be a useful tool in determining what activities a school can undertake in order to support young carers.’ • Healthy Schools 2009 • Healthy School HOT TOPIC • http://resources.healthyschools.gov.uk/p/Static/HotTopic

9. What is the way forward? • Barriers at school & at home • Whole family approach • Multi-agency partnership work • Early identification and good assessment • Schools can’t do on own – but key players! • (best in partnership with services)

10. Supporting young carers: A resource for schools Online resource for schools available to download for free at: www.carers.org/professionals SURVEY RESULTS

11. To support schools with : Healthy Schools Status Identification Pupils’ Wellbeing Partnership Working SEAL Action Plans PSHE Policy Development Behaviour and Attendance

12. Benefits:

13. Structure of resource • An overview • Barriers to learning • A strategic approach • Supporting young carers in your school • Building a healthy school environment • Additional resources • Young carers survey results

14. Some key chapters • Young carers and their education (2) • http://static.carers.org/files/2-education-5051.pdf • Barriers to learning faced by young carers (4) • http://static.carers.org/files/4-learning-5053.pdf • A model for setting up a framework of support (9) • http://static.carers.org/files/9-model-5059.pdf

15. Some key chapters • How can school governors help?(10) • http://static.carers.org/files/10-governors-5060.pdf • Developing a school policy for young carers and their families(including checklist) (12) • http://static.carers.org/files/12-policy-5062.pdf • Staff Training and Awareness (14) • http://static.carers.org/files/14-staff-5064.pdf

16. Some key chapters • Working with young carers: a model (16) • http://static.carers.org/files/16-carersmodel-5085.pdf • Identification of young carers (18) • http://static.carers.org/files/18-identification-5087.pdf • Working in partnership with young carers’ services (including checklist and example of work by a service) (30) • http://static.carers.org/files/30-partnership-5099.pdf

17. Saving schools time http://static.carers.org/files/33-raising-5102.pdf • 33.1 Lesson and assembly planning • 33.2 Young carers’ stories • 33.3 Building your library • 33.4 Sample role-play for an assembly, drama, • PSHCE or SEAL lesson. • 33.5 Young carers give top tips for their peers

18. Saving schools time http://static.carers.org/files/34-information-5103.pdf • 34.1 How our school supports young carers: a template (A model text) • 34.2 Information and contacts for young carers: a template • 34.3 Information and contacts for parents: a template

19. How can the resource support services: • A. to begin working with schools and/or champion young carers • B. to develop better partnerships with schools

20. Challenges to moving this work forward • A. What is in the way of progressing schools work? • B. What is in the way of progressing work using the resource?

21. How Might The Resource Be Further Developed? • Tools? • Information? • Other?

22. Other • Local authority leads developing email groups of School Leas to:- • share good practice • To keep updated with developments • Doing the Right Thing Well In Schools

23. ‘‘Every school will have young carers …and just one individual teacher or support worker being involved can make a huge difference.’ (young carer) ‘My teachers do everything right’ (young carer)

24. Development of an email group for resource updates:- school leads and LA leads Daniel Phelps Policy and Development Officer dphelps@carers.org