We have begun to work in partnership with the The Harbour PRU in Lowestoft to create and pilot a Young Carers Schools Award for Alternative Education providers. Thank you to Nicky and her team for enabling us to facilitate staff awareness training.
During the session, we collated ideas from the staff with regard to what support they felt the pupils within their setting would need:
- Mentoring with YC Advisor; someone who they can talk to about their caring role
- Support to help the individual engage in young carer activities
- Opportunities to meet with young carers from local schools
- PSHE sessions to build understanding and create awareness of the various roles and responsibilities of a young carer
Thank you so much to all of the participants of the training. Your input and ideas really helped up to gain further understanding of the support you feel your setting and pupils would like to be included in the award criteria.
In response, we are planning to facilitate PSHE sessions to pupils when COVID guidance allow. These sessions will allow us the opportunity to ask the pupils what they feel should be included in the award criteria, the support they would like as a young carer or when supporting a peer who has caring responsibilities.
To conclude the session, we asked everyone to make a pledge as to what they could do as individuals to support a young carer. Here are some of the responses:
Raise awareness of what a young carer is and help available
Encourage a young carer to access resources online
