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:
Impact of caring responsibilities on young people
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 tutors in the first instance so that support can be initiated if not already in place.
During the school enrolment process for new pupils, Pinner Wood School will:
Pinner Wood School actively seeks feedback and ideas from young carers and their families in order to shape and improve provision for young carers. Pinner Wood School understands the issues faced by young carers, what to look and listen for and how to respond. Pinner Wood School keeps up to date with national and local developments and with legislation and guidance affecting young carers and their families. Young carers will know how to access support and information about the support available for young carers and how to access it is clearly available to both pupils and families. Pinner Wood School uses the curriculum to promote a full understanding acceptance of, and respect for, issues such as caring, disability and impairment, for example, embedding the challenges faced by young carers into PSHE education lessons curriculum. Pinner Wood School is accessible and welcoming to parents with disabilities and/or illness, offering additional support to enable them to attend parents’ evenings or other school events. Home visits are considered where appropriate. Pinner Wood School offers additional support to remove any communication barriers with parents, so that parents are able to be fully engaged with the education of their child. Young carers are respected. A young carer’s privacy is respected and information about them or their caring role is not communicated in front of their peers. A family’s privacy is respected, and Pinner Wood School only shares information with professionals and agencies on a need to know basis in order to support pupils and their families. Pinner Wood School views young carers as any other pupil, but understands that they have the additional pressure of caring responsibilities.
Transition support is in place for young carers
Pinner Wood School will reduce barriers to education and learning
If you have questions about Young Carers, please speak to our Young Carers school lead Mrs Bennett. You can get in touch by calling the school office.