As part of Carers Week 2016, which took place last week, schools have once again been urged to do more to identify and support their young carers.
The 2011 Census shows that there are more than 166,000 young carers in England, but separate research carried out by the BBC suggests that the actual figure is closer to 700,000 – equivalent to one in 12 school children.
A wealth of research shows the negative impact that caring roles can have on young people. A quarter of young carers are bullied because of their caring role while young carers often have lower levels of self-confidence, mental wellbeing and significantly lower educational attainment at GCSE level. They are also more likely to become NEET.
Almost half of young carers struggle to find time to do their homework and they miss an average of 48 days a year of school. Furthermore, when they are in school they can find themselves punished for poor punctuality or behavioural issues resulting from their caring role.
Young carers often keep their caring role secret, too. Fresh concerns about the number of hidden young carers in schools were voiced earlier this year after 35 schools taking part in the Young Carers in Schools programme, which is run by the Carers Trust, discovered between them 500 pupils who had caring responsibilities.
Gail Scott-Spicer, CEO of the Carers Trust – one of the charities behind Carers Week – said: “The figures are quite shocking. These are children who are struggling to do their school work during the day time and then heading home to look after their own mum, dad, brother or sister, in the evening.
“The Young Carers in Schools programme has highlighted how many young carers remain hidden. It has been a great success helping schools to take action and support pupils whose reasons for struggling at school hadn’t been identified.”
She added: “Young carers are vulnerable pupils. If they are not supported, the help they provide to their families can become too much and put their own life chances at risk. Schools have a vital role to play in ensuring young carers are identified and supported. Understanding their caring responsibilities, making sure the family has the right support and offering some flexibility can be the difference between a young person dropping out or completing their course.”
Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, added: “Failing to support young carers is simply failing them. Schools can play a vital role in identifying and supporting young carers, and in helping these exceptional young people to succeed.”
- The Carers Trust has published a guide to supporting young carers. Supporting Young Carers in School: A step-by-step guide for leaders, teachers and non-teaching staff can be downloaded at https://professionals.carers.org/stepbystep