Young Carers
Colham Manor wins award for young carer support
Colham Manor has been given a Bronze Award for their work to make sure that their children
don’t miss out on an education because they are Young Carers.
The Young Carers in Schools programme helps primary and secondary schools improve outcomes for young carers and celebrates good practice through the Young Carers in Schools Award.
Young carers are responsible for emotional, practical or physical care for a parent, sibling or other family member who has a physical disability, mental health issue or substance misuse issue. The 2011 Census statistics revealed that there are just over 166,000 young carers in England, but research reveals that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The true figure could be closer to 800,000 young carers in England, equivalent to one in 5 secondary aged school children many of whom are unrecognised and unsupported.
To achieve their Bronze Award Colham Manor has demonstrated that it supports young carers in many ways, including homework clubs and drop-in sessions with a member of staff who is responsible for this vulnerable group of pupils. Vital information about how to identify Young Carers is made available to all school staff, and noticeboards and the school webpage let pupils and their families know where to go for help.
Young Carers: A definition
Young carers are children and young people under 18 years old who provide regular and ongoing care to a family member who is physically or mentally ill, disabled or misuses substances (ADASS, ADCS and The Children’s Society, 2012). The tasks and level of caring undertaken by young carers can vary according to the nature of the illness or disability, the level and frequency of need for care and the structure of the family as a whole.
A young carer may undertake some or all of the following:
- Practical tasks – eg cooking, housework, shopping
- Household Management – eg paying bills, managing finances, collecting benefits
- Physical care – eg lifting, helping up the stairs, physiotherapy
- Looking after siblings – eg putting to bed, walking to school, parenting
- Personal care – eg dressing, washing, toileting needs
- Interpretation – eg for hearing/speech impairment or English as an additional language
- Emotional support – eg listening, calming, being present
- Administering medication – eg insulin needles, preparing daily tablets
Impact of caring responsibilities on young people
- Physical health: often severely affected by caring through the night, repeatedly lifting a heavy adult, poor diet and lack of sleep
- Emotional wellbeing: stress, tiredness and mental ill health are common for young carers
- Isolation: feeling different or isolated from their peers, limited opportunities for socialisation, bullying and harassment – more than two out of three young carers are bullied at school
- Unstable environment: traumatic life changes such as bereavement, family break-up, losing income and housing, or seeing the effects of an illness or addiction
Pathway of support
If you have any concerns about children who may be showing signs they have caring responsibilities at home, it should be brought to the attention of their class teacher in the first instance so that support can be initiated if not already in place.
At Colham Manor Primary School we are committed to developing provision for young carers and their families, so that they can attend school, enjoy their learning and fully participate in all areas of school life. We are committed to overcoming barriers to learning and help raise attendance and attainment of young carers.
At Colham Manor School we will capture the commitment by widening our provision, building on the needs of the young people and better meet young carers’ needs by reviewing Colham Manor School’s provision for young carers, with a view to ultimately achieving best practice.
How we will achieve this:
The whole school is committed to meeting the needs of young carers so that they can attend and enjoy school in the same way as other pupils/students and achieve their potential.
The school has a designated Young Carers’ School Lead and a Young Carers’ Operational Lead, who are responsible for young carers and their families. Pupils and families will be made aware of the identity of this lead and how to contact them to access support.
The school only shares information with professionals and agencies on a need to know basis in order to support pupils and their families.
The school uses Pupil Premium funding to minimise any barriers to education and learning experienced by eligible young carers.
The school has an effective referral system and strong partnership in place with relevant external agencies, including the school nurse and the local young carers’ service.
The school takes a proactive approach to identifying young carers.
The school reduces barriers to education and learning and supports the wellbeing of young carers.
The school understands the needs of families of young carers.
The school will actively seek feedback and ideas from young carers and their families to shape and
improve support.
We will strive to achieve best practice for pupils and families in our school in order to provide them with the best chance of success in their future.
At Colham Manor Primary School Primary School our Young Carers Leads are Mrs C Rissen and Mrs T Embleton
If you think your child may be a young carer, please contact them via the school office to discuss any help or support we can offer our young carers and their families.
Further information about Young Carers can be found at the following links:
• Carers Trust Hillingdon: https://carerstrusthillingdon.org/young-carers-services/
• Young Minds: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/young-carers/
• Carers Trust UK: https://carers.org/getting-support-if-you-are-a-young-carer-or-young-adult-carer/getting-support-if-you-
are-a-young-carer-or-young-adult-carer
• NHS:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/support-and-benefits-for-carers/help-for- young-carers/