Inquiry lays bare the impact on life opportunities of young carers

Your Voice Counts – Thank you to all that took the time to respond to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Young and Young Adult Carers survey link we recently shared with you.  As you will read in the report, all responses were collated and have been used to evidence the report and recommendations for the Government to consider what support needs to be put in place for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers across the UK. – Jess Searle Young Carers/Young Adult Carers Project Manger at Suffolk Family Carers

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Young and Young Adult Carers inquiry, which started over five months ago, has heard powerful evidence from over 70 organisations/stakeholders and more than 400 young carers and young adult carers. The results reveal the devastating impact caring has on the life opportunities of the estimated one million young carers and many more young adult carers across the UK.

Summary of Findings

• Over 15,000 children, including 3,000 aged just five to nine, spend 50 hours or more a week looking after someone because of an illness, disability or addiction.
• Some young carers have to wait 10 years before being identified and the average waiting time to be identified for support was three years.
• Being a young carer has a knock-on effect on school attainment and attendance, with young carers missing 27 school days per year on average.
• Young adult carers are substantially (38%) less likely to achieve a university degree than their peers without a caring role. Those caring for 35 or more hours a week are 86% less likely.
• Young adult carers are less likely to be employed than their peers without a caring role.
• Young people with caring responsibilities have a higher prevalence of self-harm. Of children who do self-harm, young carers are twice as likely to attempt to take their own life than non-carers.

Inquiry Report Recommendations

1. A cross-government National Carers Strategy with a dedicated section and resourced action plan relating to young and young adult carers.
2. The Government should commission an independent 10-year review of the difference the Children and Families Act 2014 and Care Act 2014 have made for unpaid carers.
3. The Government should work with young and young adult carers to set out its immediate plans to improve early identification, increase access to support for young carers and reduce the numbers providing inappropriate or excessive levels of care.
4. The Government should formally support the development and implementation of the first UK-wide Covenant for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers.

The inquiry was led by Duncan Baker MP, and supported by a group of 11 youth advisors (including 2 inquiry co-chairs) from across England, the APPG’s chair, Paul Blomfield MP and the Carers Trust.