Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

The Scrutiny Board considered a briefing note of the Director of Children’s Services regarding young carers in the City as there had been concern about children becoming looked after as a consequence of having carer responsibilities at home.

The briefing note recognised young carers as children and young people under 25 who provide regular and on-going care and emotional support to a family member or friend who is physically or mentally ill, disabled, frail or has a behavioural disorder or misuses substances.  This could be a parent or sibling.

Young carers may take on practical or emotional caring tasks that an adult would normally do.  Instead of seeing friends, enjoying hobbies and doing homework, children as young as 10 are cooking, cleaning, managing medication, shopping, looking after brothers and sisters.

The impact for a young carer can be significant, regardless of the type of care they provide or how often they provide it.  It can take a toll on their physical and mental wellbeing as well as impact on their own development and opportunities.

Young carers do not always identify themselves as a carer because they see it as part of their everyday life and something they have always done.  Often young carers may be reluctant to tell anyone about their caring responsibilities for a variety of reasons including family loyalty, stigma, bullying or simply knowing where to go for support.  There is broad recognition that young carers who support parents with mental ill-health or problems with drugs or alcohol were particularly at risk of remaining hidden from view because of concerns about being taken into care, or at least a belief that this is the case.

The report detailed the National Context which included legislation and government plans to support carers.  The report also gave information about Coventry’s Support to Young Carers which included the internal targeted service for young carers who were ‘children in need or above’ and also the close partnership working with Carers Trust Heart of England, a local voluntary organisation who work with all young carers regardless of level of need.

The Board were reassured that young carers were not being taken into the care of the Local Authority because of their carer responsibilities.

The Board welcomed representatives from the Carers Trust to the meeting and were interested to hear about support for young carers.

The Board discussed the following with officers and representatives from the Carers Trust:

·  Hidden numbers of young carers in Coventry

·  That some young carers choose to remain hidden for fear that a consequence of disclosure could be the involvement of Social Services and the young person being taken into care.  The Board were reassured that there were currently no children in care as a result of being a young carer

·  Working with schools and health partners to encourage the disclosure of hidden young carers to enable support to be provided

·  Resources and funding – some of the funding currently accessed by the Carers Trust was coming to an end and the possible impact of that

·  Partnership working, including looking at models of delivery in neighbouring authorities

·  Statutory responsibility

The Scrutiny Board thanked the Carers Trust for their contribution to the meeting and support to young carers in the City.

RESOLVED that

1)The Scrutiny Board note the report

2)The Scrutiny Board make the following recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and Cabinet Member for Education and Skills

a.  Make the streamlining of services to young carers a priority with a view to working alongside the Carers Trust to providing a “one stop shop” for the young carers needing support

b.  Consider further the identification of young carers, working with partners including schools and health agencies and the promotion of available support to young carers as well as the management of resources to ensure adequate support for all young carers in Coventry

3)The key messages about ways people can help, such as communicating the support and identification available, be circulated.

4)A Young Carer report back to the Scrutiny Board in 6 months