1 Introduction
Woodlands Academy is committed to supporting young carers to access education. This code aims to ensure young carers at Woodlands Academy are identified and offered appropriate support to access the education to which they are entitled. (See appendix 1 for details of Woodlands Academy’s Young Carers.)
2 Definition
“Young Carers are children and young persons under 18 who provide, or intend to provide, care, assistance or support to another family member. They carry out, often on a regular basis, significant or substantial caring tasks and assume a level of responsibility, which would usually be associated with an adult. The person receiving care is often a parent but can be a sibling, grandparent or other relative who is disabled, has some chronic illness, mental health problem or other condition connected with a need for care, support or supervision”.
“Factors which influence the extent and nature of young carers’ tasks and responsibilities include the illness/disability, family structure, gender, culture, religion, income, and the availability and quality of professional support and services.”
Becker, S. (2000) ‘Young Carers’, in Davies, M. (ed.) The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Social Work. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd, p. 378.
The person they look after may have one or more of:
· Physical disability (including sensory disability)
· Learning disability
· Mental health problem
· Chronic illness
· Substance misuse problem
3 Caring Tasks
A young carer will take on additional responsibilities to those appropriate to their age and development. A young carer might be providing the main care or share responsibilities with another family member. The caring tasks that a young carer has to deal with can range from:
· Nursing care – giving medication, injections, changing dressings, assisting with mobility etc.
· Personal intimate care – washing, dressing, feeding and helping with toilet requirements.
· Emotional care – being compliant, monitoring the emotional state of the person cared for, listening, being a shoulder to cry on, supporting a parent through depression and trying to cheer them up.
· Domestic care – doing a substantial amount of housework, cooking, shopping, cleaning, laundry etc.
· Financial care – running the household, bill paying, benefit collection etc.
· Childcare – taking responsibility for younger siblings in addition to their other caring responsibilities.
4 Possible effects on education
Woodlands Academy acknowledges that there are likely to be young carers among its pupils, and that being a young carer may have an adverse effect on a young person’s education.
Because of their responsibilities at home, a young carer might experience:
· Being late or absent due to responsibilities at home
· Concentration problems, anxiety or worry in school.
· Emotional distress/poor mental health
· Tiredness in school
· Lack of time for homework
· Lower than expected attainment.
· Physical problems such as back pain from lifting
· False signs of maturity, because of assuming adult roles
· Behavioural problems (taking out their anger or frustration)
· Lack of time for extracurricular activities
· Isolation, embarrassed to take friends home.
· Limited social skills
· Bullying
· Feeling that no one understands and that no support is available.
· Low self esteem
Woodlands Academy will monitor the progress of young carers and ensure that they have every opportunity to achieve their potential.
It also might be difficult to engage their parents (due to fears about the child being taken into care, fears about their condition being misunderstood or their parenting skills being called into question). They may be unable to attend, in person, events at the school, such as parents’ evenings, information evenings, progress meetings or other meetings with school staff.
Young Carers – barriers to learning.
· May want to stay in the background in lessons as they have so much to cope with at home.
· Have very little time for homework, and probably no time if there is a crisis at home.
· Are often worried, distracted, stressed or angry.
· Are unlikely to be able to stay after school.
· Are more likely to be bullied.
· Feel stressed sometimes – people are relying on them.
· May worry during school hours and be unable to concentrate.
· Don’t want a big deal made of the fact that they are a carer.
· May have been working for several hours before getting to school.
· Need emotional and practical support at school, and with managing work.
· May need to get younger siblings to school, so are often late themselves.
· Are sometimes angry about caring, even though it is very important to them. This may make them feel guilty.
5 Support Offered
Woodlands Academy acknowledges that young carers may need extra support to ensure they have equal access to education. Through this code, the school is giving the message that every young carer’s education is important.
There is a designated link for young carers based in our pastoral room, who will provide information about young carers, and will act as a link between young carers, Bristol Young Carers and relevant agencies offering support. Drop in is available at lunchtimes and regular check ins are carried out by the Family link and pastoral managers. All pupils will be made aware of the designated lead for Young Carers. Lianne Sheldon is the Young Carers Champion and Lisa Criag is the SLT Young Carers Champion.
Woodlands Academy will provide young carers with opportunities to speak to someone in private and will not discuss their situation in front of their peers or expect young carers to discuss their family situation unless they feel comfortable. The young person’s caring role will be acknowledged and respected.
Woodlands Academy will treat young carers in a sensitive and child-centred way, upholding confidentiality; will ensure young carers can access all available support services in school and will follow safeguarding procedures regarding any young carer at risk of significant harm due to inappropriate levels of caring.
Woodlands Academy will promote discussion and learning in all areas of the curriculum to facilitate fuller understanding, acceptance of and respect for the issues surrounding illness, disability and caring.
· PSHE lessons at Woodlands Academy are delivered weekly. We plan a PSHE lesson promoting the understanding of Young Carers, and this is delivered yearly.
· Assemblies are delivered to further promote understanding and support for young carers during Young Carers Action Day and at the beginning of the school year.
· Young Carers views will help shape the schools Young Carers provision through consultation at Young Carers drop in and through our annual pupil survey.
Young carers are identified as part of our termly wellbeing tracking at Woodlands Academy along with regular discussions with class teachers and through liaison with families by Lianne Sheldon.
Woodlands Academy recognises that flexibility may be needed when responding to the needs of young carers. Available provision includes (but is not limited to):
· Access to a telephone during breaks and lunchtime, to phone home
· Negotiable deadlines for homework/coursework (when needed)
· Access to homework clubs (where these are available)
· Any approved absence for a young carer will be time limited. (DfE 2006)
· Access for parents with impaired mobility.
· Alternative communication options for parents who are sensory impaired or housebound.
· Advice to parents if there are difficulties in transporting a young carer to school.
The names of the young carers will be flagged up electronically and confidentially for the attention of subject and associate staff, to promote awareness and ensure support is in place. A list of warning signs to recognise young carers will be circulated to all staff. Please see appendix 1.
· A yearly staff training around identifying and supporting Young Carers at Woodlands Academy will be delivered by the Young Carers Lead or Bristol Young Carers service.
Advice and support for young carers | The Children’s Society
www.childrenssociety.org.uk › young-people › young-…
Supporting young carers. Many young people cope well with caring. But equally it is important for all young carers to know there are places where they can get help.
Bristol Young Carers
www.carerssupportcentre.org.uk
Bristol Young Carers provides a range of services for young carers who look after an ill or disabled family member.
Young Carers | Barnardo’s
www.barnardos.org.uk › what-we-do › helping-families
How we support young people who care for someone who is ill or disabled in their family.
Young carers – Young Minds
youngminds.org.uk › find-help › looking-after-yourself
Being a young carer can be difficult, and sometimes a 24/7 job. How do you care for someone while also making sure you’re looking after yourself
6 Appendix 1 – Definition and Warning Signs
Definition
“Young Carers are children and young persons under 18 who provide, or intend to provide, care, assistance or support to another family member. They carry out, often on a regular basis, significant or substantial caring tasks and assume a level of responsibility, which would usually be associated with an adult. The person receiving care is often a parent but can be a sibling, grandparent or other relative who is disabled, has some chronic illness, mental health problem or other condition connected with a need for care, support or supervision.”
“Factors which influence the extent and nature of young carers’ tasks and responsibilities include the illness/disability, family structure, gender, culture, religion, income, and the availability and quality of professional support and services.”
Becker, S. (2000) ‘Young Carers’, in Davies, M. (ed.) The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Social Work. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd, p. 378.
Warning signs
Young carers are not easy to spot and many actively try to conceal their caring role from teachers, pastoral staff and peers for fear of bullying or outside interference in their families. All of the warning signs below could be indicators of another problem. However, staff noticing these signs should consider asking the pupil if they are helping to look after someone at home.
· Regular or increased lateness or absence
· Concentration problems, anxiety, tiredness (due to caring at home, prior to coming to school or caring until late the night before school)
· Under-achievement and late or incomplete homework: any sudden unexplained drop in attainment
· Few or no peer friendships; conversely the pupil may get on well with adults and present as very mature for their age.
· Victim of bullying, sometimes explicitly linked to a family member’s disability, health or substance misuse problem.
· Behavioural problems, sometimes the result of anger or frustration expressed inappropriately.
· Unable to attend extra-curricular activities.
· Difficulties in engaging parents; parents not attending parents’ evenings.
