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Results of Research project “Identifying and supporting young carers in school”

Background......................................................................................................1 Aims and Methods of the study........................................................................2 Research conducted prior to study ..................................................................3 Methodological framework ...............................................................................4 Research site ...................................................................................................5 Ethical Considerations .....................................................................................5 Research Limitations .......................................................................................6 Policy and Practice Relevance ........................................................................6 Study Findings .................................................................................................7 Key messages ...............................................................................................11 Conclusion and Recommendations ...............................................................22 Bibliography ...................................................................................................24

Background Numbers The data on the actual number of young carers in Britain is limited, however National Statistics (Webster, 1996) suggest, that up to 51,000 children in the UK may be “providing substantial and regular care to another family member” (Dearden and Becker, 2004:1). Aldridge and Becker (2003) have estimated that 175, 000 children in England and Wales are caring for a parent with physical or mental health problems (Cooklin, 2005). Effects of young caring Falcov et al’s (1998) research findings have shown that children’s cognitive and language development, attention and concentration span, as well as educational, social and emotional needs are significantly impaired when the parent suffers from mental health problems (Cooklin, 2005). Historical perspective on this issue Dearden and Becker (2004) highlight that the concept of young caring has largely been a hidden phenomenon and only since the 1990s have young carers had access to support services. Thus this research study will aim to explore how schools can identify young carers and best meet their needs. Definition of a Young Carer The Carers National Association (1998) defines a “young carer as anyone under the age of 18 whose life is in some way restricted because of the need to take responsibility for the care of a person who is ill, has a disability, is experiencing mental distress, is affected by substance use” (Dearden and Becker, 2004:1).

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The type of care provided by young carers ranges from practical to emotional, thus Dearden and Becker (1998) outlined 5 main forms of care delivered by young carers namely domestic, general, emotional support, intimate care and childcare. Further research findings have reported that the average age of a young carer is 12 years old and found girls to be heavily involved in undertaking care duties particularly relating to domestic chores and intimate care (Dearden and Becker 1998). Impact of young caring A study undertaken by Marsden (1995) in the London Borough of Enfield found that young carers’ education was negatively impacted upon as a result of their caring responsibilities at home. Thus 17 of the 28 young people recognised by other services as being carers were identified as being held back from developing educationally (Cooklin, 2005). Research findings have concluded that young carers face the following educational difficulties: punctuality, attendance, completing homework/coursework, joining in extra educational difficulties, bullying, low attainment, anxiety and fatigue (Marsden, 1995). The National Carers Strategy Caring for Carers highlights that a more integrative approach needs to be adopted, in order to meet the needs of young carers in accordance with achieving the 5 Every Child Matters outcomes; staying safe, being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and enjoying economic well-being. For example adult services and children’s services need to work in collaboration with one another to ensure that the needs of young carers are being adequately identified and met. Although under section 1(1) of the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 young carers have rights to an independent Young Carers Assessment research has suggested that young carers are not necessarily being identified or receiving the support which they are entitled to, as a result of the lack of partnership working between adult and children’s services (Dearden and Becker, 2004). Thus, this study looked to help schools develop an awareness of the educational difficulties faced by young carers, as well as the benefits of adopting a multi-agency approach towards identifying and supporting young carers. Aims and Methods of the study To identify appropriate ways in which: a) Schools can better identify young carers and address the barriers that prevent young carers from coming forward. b) How schools can better help and support identified young carers at school. c) Explore the benefits of multi-agency working schools.

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Research conducted prior to study August 18th 2008 – Researcher attended the young carers fun day at the Southville Centre (where the Borough’s Young Carers Project is based). Young carers were given the opportunity to get involved in the research, for instance to proof read and complete the questionnaire before it was distributed to young people in school. Very useful feedback was obtained about how the research could best be conducted both in terms of the format and layout of the questionnaire. November 2008 – Teacher Awareness Training session at a Hounslow secondary school with Year 7 Tutors, Head of Year 7 and Learning Mentors (LM) before the commencement of the PSHE Young Carers Package across Year 7 students aged between 11 to 12 years old. Before the research commenced the young carers and their parents/guardians who had already been identified by the school as well as those known to the Young Carers Project that attended the school were contacted to let them know about the research. They were told of the aims of the research project and how they could participate if they wished to do so, how they could remain anonymous and not participate if they wish and about the school assembly being held on young carers. November 2008 – Presentation to Year 7 assembly incorporating a DVD called ‘In our shoes’ by Lewisham Young Carers was used to raise awareness about young carers. The assembly was used as an opportunity to:

1) Make the school aware of the research being undertaken and explain the purpose of the research.

2) Highlight the number of young carers known to exist on a national and local level. Why therefore it is important to demonstrate respect and maintain confidentiality in the PSHE lessons, which will be used to further explore the issue of young carers.

3) Explain how the research findings will be used to improve services for young people in accordance with achieving the 5 outcomes outlined in the Every Child Matters agenda.

4) Advertise the support services offered to young carers by the Young Carers Project via leaflets.

5) Introduce Emma Yates, Jonathan Hill-Brown and myself to the school and explain our roles.

November 2008 – Began PSHE lessons that were based on the PSHE Young Carers Lesson Pack1, which took 2 weeks to deliver across all year 7 tutor groups.

1 This was developed two years ago in collaboration with School Advisers within LB Hounslow.

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At the end of each session, homework incorporating agony aunt questions and based on material which had already been tried and tested in schools across the borough, were used to generate feedback from students about their understanding of the PSHE lesson. Raising awareness of the issues affecting young carers was also one of the research objectives; therefore asking young people how they would help a friend who was a young carer was an effective means of meeting this aim. Feedback forms were collected from students after the first PSHE session and generated interesting reading about what they had learnt about young carers, what they liked and disliked about the lesson as well as providing them with an opportunity to ask further questions/comments. Methodological framework This was based on referring to and analysing existing research and information related to young carers. Qualitative data was gathered by conducting questionnaires with teachers and Learning Mentors at the school (n=6) and Young Carers known to the Young Carers Project (n=7). Also discussions were generated during PSHE lessons within school using fictional case studies that had been checked by young carers, incorporated within the Young Carers Lesson Package. Staff at the school - Year 7 Form Tutors, the Head of Year 7 and Learning Mentors were consulted within a group setting, in order to ascertain how they identified young carers, as well as to the extent to which they worked in partnership with other agencies in providing support to young carers. The research findings are based on the information provided by young carers at the Young Carers Project, as well as Year 7 students and staff at school. Two PSHE lessons were delivered across each year 7-tutor group. The first session incorporated “a day in the life of a young carer” case study, which was completed by students in pairs and shared with the rest of the class at the end of the session. The case studies asked students to look at how being a young carer would impact upon their daily routine and emotional well-being. (Please refer to APPENDIX activity sheet) The second session was an opportunity for students to read out their homework based on responding to an agony aunt letter written by a young carer and also make suggestions as to what should be included in the school protocol on Young Carers. Qualitative research

1) Distributed questionnaires (n=6) to all Year 7 Form Tutors and Learning Mentors.

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2) Themes identified in PSHE lessons and homework exercise. Quantitative research The number of young carers identified by the school will be statistically compared to the numbers identified by teachers in the previous academic year. Research site A secondary school located within the London Borough of Hounslow agreed to take part in the research. The Young Carers Project receives 2 to 6 referral per month and the London Borough of Hounslow knows 119 young carers aged between 5-18 years old. (As at February 2009.) However, 580 young people were recorded in the 2001 census as carrying out caring responsibilities, towards a parent or relative. Therefore the local authority is aware that there are at least 400 young carers within the borough that have yet to be identified and offered support. Ethical Considerations Informed consent All those participating in the research were fully informed of the purpose of the work being carried out, as well as how the data would be gathered and the way in which it shall be processed and used (please refer to research proposal). Before undertaking this work the participants’ informed consent was gained and they were made aware of their right to withdraw from the research at any time. Confidentiality, privacy and anonymity The issue of confidentiality was discussed with all the research participants before undertaking the research. The identity of the research participants has been kept anonymous and personal information has been processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Well-being and safety of participants Professional integrity was maintained throughout the research process and appropriate attention was given to the emotional, physical and environmental factors impacting upon the participant’s situation, before, during and after the research (British Sociological Association, 2002). A sensitive approach was adopted when working with participants on the issues relating to young carers. As part of the preparatory risk assessment it

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was factored in that should ethical issues arise during the course of the study which required the participant to liase with a trained professional, then appropriate measures would be undertaken to seek the support of other services. Emma Yates – Young Carers Co-ordinator handed out information about support services available to young carers and also made herself available to speak with students in a one off lunchtime session after the final school assembly. Posters and leaflets were handed out to students and teachers after the PSHE sessions. Research Limitations The school suggested tracking the achievement of young carers. However, as a result of time limitations this unfortunately was not possible. In hindsight more time planning and discussing PSHE sessions with teachers as opposed to just e-mailing the school the lesson plan may possibly have improved the focus of the awareness raising sessions and also, while very good, have increased the level of the school’s involvement in the research project. Despite being a part of the initial research proposal no focus groups took place at the school and therefore there was no qualitative follow-on work with the students after the PSHE sessions ended. (However, it is known that the young carer already known to the Young Carers Project felt able, following the awareness-raising sessions, to tell her friends for the first time that she was a young carer. Policy and Practice Relevance The exact number of young carers in the UK is unknown. However, research in recent years has highlighted the extent to which young carers have been a hidden phenomenon. Support services such as local authority young carers projects have been set up to meet the needs of young carers, however they are limited in that best practice/legal requirements are not met as not all statutory agencies are offering Young carers assessments despite the fact that their parents may be in contact with and receiving support from adult services. Schools have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (Education Act, 2002) and are inevitably well placed to identify young carers and signpost them to the various statutory and non-statutory services (Barnardo’s, 2006). The aim of this research was to identify sensitive and appropriate ways that schools can identify young carers, as well as explore how the needs of young carers can be best met by schools using a multi-agency approach to working.

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The information obtained from this research looks to build an awareness of the needs of young carers and support schools to identify and meet the needs of young carers, which is also conducive to the 5 Every Child Matters outcomes and Children Act 2004. This study will also look to provide material which is relevant to policy and practice across universal services such as education, as well as examine the extent to which the governments push towards delivering an integrated early intervention and prevention service for children and families, is being achieved. Study Findings Prior to the commencement of the school-based research the researcher attended a Fun day event organised for young carers by the Young Carers Project where seven young carers each completed a questionnaire. Teacher Awareness Training was arranged and 6 members of staff completed questionnaires. A school assembly was used to raise awareness about the issues affecting young carers and to discuss the aims and purpose of the research being carried across year 7 tutor groups. The feedback generated from these sessions will be discussed as well as the findings produced from PSHE lessons, homework and feedback sessions completed by students at the school. Young Carers Fun day (18.08.08) A Fun Day event held at the Southville Centre for all Young Carers known to the project within the London Borough of Hounslow was used as an opportunity to receive feedback on the questionnaires developed for supporting young carers in school. A stall was set up (a table and chair) in the reception area of the Southville Centre, where a Fun Day was taking place. A sheet of flip chart paper was blue tacked to the wall beside the table and advertised the title of the Research Project “Identifying and supporting young carers in school”. Young carers who approached the table were informed about the aims of the project and asked to complete a questionnaire. Afterwards it was explained to them that the questionnaire would be distributed amongst school students identified as being young carers at the secondary school where the study was being conducted. Young carers were also randomly approached and informed about the research-taking place and asked to complete a questionnaire. The majority of the young carers completed the questionnaire, however one young carer declined. Following discussions with the Young Carers Co-ordinator at the Centre it was highlighted that this particular young carer refused to label themselves as being a young carer.

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When the young carers read the title of the research on the sheet of flip chart they appeared somewhat concerned about the schools where the research would be taking place. A large number of Young Carers wanted to know the names of the schools were where the research was being carried out. They appeared anxious and also concerned about the prospect of the research being undertaken at the school they attended. However, due to the fact that final confirmation from the schools had not yet been obtained, the names of the schools participating in the research were not disclosed. Parents appeared largely welcoming about the prospect of research taking place in schools about “identifying and supporting young carers in school” and went on to say that they felt schools were currently not offering enough support to young carers. Parents and young carers alike said that they felt school could be more supportive of them, particularly in relation to giving young carers more time to complete homework. Sample: In total 7 questionnaires were completed by young carers aged between 9 and 15 years old. The majority of the young carers helped look after a family member that was either their parent or sibling with disabilities, restricting their mobility. The types of caring duties undertaken by the young carers ranged from cleaning, cooking, clothing, shopping, help with medicines, feeding, communicating with others and getting up stairs or going out as well as providing emotional support. “Basically being there for them” Barriers preventing young carers from coming forward Although the majority had told their friends about their caring role at home many of the respondents said that they did not feel supported by them, which could be one of the reasons that prevents young carers from coming forward. Feeling guilty was also one of the emotions described by respondents who said that this prevented them from talking to their friends or a member of staff at school about being a young carer. The fear of being bullied - laughed at or made fun of was another barrier that prevented one particular young carer from identifying themselves as a young carer at school. The fear of not being believed was another concern raised by a young carer who said, “some people believe that I use my role as an excuse” Another young carer said that not having anyone at school that could empathise with them and their situation prevented them from coming forward.

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Impact of caring duties on educational achievement “yes, because they don’t know how I feel” When asked to identify on a scale of one to five where five represented ‘a lot’ the extent to which their caring duties impacted upon their education five respondents said that it was either 4 or 5. This demonstrates how young carers found it difficult to manage schoolwork as a result of their caring responsibilities. Young carers said that at school they felt distracted, worried, lacked concentration and found it difficult to complete homework while undertaking caring duties at home. “not enough time to do work outside/after school” Identification and Support The respondents said that school had become aware of their young carer status when their parents, the Young Carers Project or they themselves informed the school about their caring responsibilities at home. The young carers said on the whole teachers at school were supportive of them when they found out that they were a young carer but on a scale of one to five 2 respondents said that they received no support from school, 2 respondents said that they received lots of support and the remaining 2, respondents circled 2 or 3 on the scale. “A little they don’t support me lots” Type of support young carers received at school One young carer said that they were receiving support from a Learning Mentor at school and two young carers said that they were not receiving any support at school. One young carer identified receiving support from friends as a type of support that they were receiving from school which did not answer the question but suggests that this young carer associates school with an avenue through which they can receive support from their peers. They may not be available to socialise with them outside school as a result of their caring duties at home. How schools can support young carers in school Young carers said that in relation to caring duties at home, school could support them to manage better at home and at school by offering the following: “more support and less homework” “help me more and don’t moan when I don’t bring my homework in”

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“more help from friends” “leniency with homework/school work” Feedback from Teacher Awareness Training At the Teacher Awareness Training staff were spilt up into two groups and had the opportunity to speak to a young carer (both the young carers siblings from a different Borough secondary school to the one where the research was being carried out). They were informed that they could ask the young carer any questions, but it would be left up to the young carer to decide as to whether or not they wanted to answer the question. Questions from staff focused on finding out how the young carer coped with homework; how much information they shared with teachers; what kind of things could help young carers in school and; what can teachers do. The young carers’ responses largely centred on teachers and staff in general being understanding and taking into consideration the young person’s caring responsibilities at home as well as the need to have good listening skills and show flexibility, in particular when homework needed to be handed in. The young carer tried to describe how it felt to be a young carer and said that teachers “don’t understand it as much...it’s constant 24 hours a day, 7 days a week”. “People thought I was depressed at one point.” In terms of identifying young carers the young carer said that “teachers need to act if they’re (the young carer) constantly bringing in homework late” and possibly to ask questions as to whether or not the young person is a young carer.

Staff asked whether the young carer had a tutor that they saw every morning at school. The young carer said “what can they do?...not much because they only see me in the morning and don’t teach me, they (the tutor) need to tell the teachers that teach me” It was evident that the young carer felt that there needed to be better communication between tutors and teaching staff to ensure that the needs of young carers are being appropriately met. The young carer explained that they had not told any of their friends about their caring responsibilities at home “because I want to make it as normal as possible.” The young carer welcomed after school drop in groups at the school although explained that they would need to discuss this with their sibling to make sure that one of them was at home to support their parents. The young carer explained that they had been undertaking caring duties at home since they were around 4 years old. The first time they realised they were a young carer was during their school sports day, when they saw other children there with their dads. They went on to say that they would not

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consider the option of taking on a job that would interfere with their caring responsibilities at home because being a young carer was their primary responsibility/duty. Staff asked one of the young carers how the young carers project had helped and the response was “it’s nice to know I’m not the only one.” In response to a question about coping when the young carer was upset or didn’t want responsibility the young carer said that they used to make up excuses to friends as to why they could not participate in after school activities, which afterwards would make them feel “angry” but it would all be worth it when they got home and saw their dad laughing.

“Our family is probably the strongest because we spend so much time together.”

The young carer said that teachers could be more “understanding” as well as more sensitive in their approach and finding the “right time” to talk to young people in order to ask them about whether there were things going on at home. Staff were surprised to learn the extent to which the young carers kept their role at home hidden. For example not inviting friends home or only allowing them in certain rooms of the house: “I only invited a friend home once and asked them to stay in the living room.” “My parents would be happy if people came back home but I don’t want it.” Although the young carer said that they had received support from a Learning Mentor at school they went on to say, that it was inconsistent and ended without any prior planning or consultation. The Learning Mentor within the group explained to the young carer that his role was limited, in that he was only able to support a young person for a certain number of weeks. He then went on to say that his role as a Learning Mentor is not defined specifically to young carers and needed to be “a more established role to help young carers” he also welcomed the opportunity to undergo training on the issues affecting young carers in school. Key messages When the groups were brought back into the circle they were asked to give feedback on the points that were raised during their discussions with the young carers. The responses were:

- Interesting how it affects the young carer’s life at school and helpful to know that there are measures/structures that schools can put in place to ease the stresses experienced by young carers at school.

- Issues facing siblings that are young carers, particularly in terms of needing to alternate participating in activities so that both can attend meetings/groups and look after their parent;

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- Importance of good communication from initial pastoral link through to individual subject teachers to ensure that needs of the young carer are positively met, for instance that allowances are made for homework deadlines.

- Young carers’ interest in drop-in groups in school. - Staff asked whether they can be automatically privy to information

about whether a pupil is a young carer and also whether this information is shared between the primary and secondary schools. This followed a discussion about respecting the rights of a young carer and their family to determine what information is shared with professionals. One teacher highlighted her concern about not knowing whether a young person was a young carer by saying that it “makes differentiation impossible” and that she would not be able to act in the best interests of the young carer if such information was kept confidential.

- Support provided to young carer needs to be consistent. - Young carers being able to talk to other young carers is a positive thing

because they become aware that there are other young people who share similar experiences as them.

- Not previously aware of how long a young carer’s day can be. - Importance of maintaining trust with young carers and listening to

them. - Recognition how young carers, similar to young people in general, find

it easier to liaise with internal agencies such as Learning Mentors rather than opening up to external agencies, outside of school.

Feedback from ‘A day in the life of a young carer’ PSHE exercise To recap on the aims of the research and engage the students in the classroom the DVD titled ‘In my shoes’ shown in the initial assembly was shown again. Following this, students were asked to work in pairs on the above exercise and imagine what it would be like to be a young carer for a day. The meanings of various words used in the worksheet were clarified before students began the exercise (please refer to explanation sheet). It was clear from the depth of the information included in the worksheets and from the feedback provided during the lessons that the students had a good level of awareness about Young Carers. Students were empathetic and imaginative in their response about how being a young carer could impact upon a young person’s life, taking into careful consideration the fact that they may have to get up early in order to get the person they are caring for dressed and ready, before they even get to school in the morning. The following themes were raised throughout the exercise;

• Extent of young carers caring responsibilities ranging from dressing, cooking, handling medication, feeding, bathing, cleaning, helping to move around

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• Lack of concentration and focus at school • Level of emotional stress, worry, sadness, anger and upset. • Getting up early • Being late for school • Financial insecurity • Feeling guilty at school and wanting to be at home to look after sick

parent/relative • Feeling tired and sleepy at school • Not being able to socialise with friends outside of school due to caring

role • Not being able to complete homework on time • Being bullied at school • Not being picked up by parents from school like other students are • Not interested in studies because of caring responsibilities at home

Students highlighted the following positive points to being a young carer

• Feeling proud, special and being part of being a family and being there for each other.

Feedback from Homework exercise After the first year 7 PSHE Young Carers lesson, students were asked to complete a homework exercise based on an agony aunt scenario involving a young carer. Please refer to appendix A. The homework was based on two different situations: one concerning a parent with restricted mobility following an accident and the other about a sibling that attends a special school. Both scenarios dealt with how this impacted upon the young carer’s friendships and life at school and what help was available to the young carer. The issues covered by students in the homework exercises were again insightful and empathetic clearly demonstrating that the aim of the research was achieved in terms of raising awareness about the issues facing young carers and recognising that there are barriers that may prevent young carers from coming forward but suggesting ways in which these can be combated. Themes covered in the homework:

• Bullying and how to stop it – telling a teacher/support staff at school • The importance of telling other people and not facing problems alone • Being honest • Thinking about what makes a good friend • Letting teachers know what’s going on at home and/or at school • Recognising and respecting differences in others • Identifying the positives about being a young carer –

“shows that you are strong, brave and special”

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How to combat the barriers that prevent young carers from coming forward Young carers were advised to confide in “good friends” and also teachers in order to deal with the bullying at school. “tell your friends the truth they’ll understand – if their a true friend” “speak to a teacher – remember teachers are always there for you” “try to tell a teacher or adult and don’t be afraid” Feedback from year 7 students re: school protocol on Young Carers Building on from the Agony Aunt homework exercise students were asked to explore what prevented young carers from coming forward? The following explanations were provided:

• Fear of being bullied, treated differently or rejected by friends at school. • Afraid of teacher’s reaction and worried that no one will believe you. • Don’t want to hurt your parent’s feelings by telling school that he or she

is a young carer. Taking into consideration the above, students were asked to send a message to the school about what should be included in the school’s protocol on Young Carers. The following suggestions were made by students and have been separated under specific themes raised during the PSHE lessons. We accept that the students’ comments are not necessarily reflective of poor pastoral support in the school but more about the pupils’ sentiment and desire to support fellow students who are young carers. What type of support can school offer Young Carers (YCs)? Flexibility with homework, lateness and attendance. - Give YCs less homework/Give YC more time to complete homework - More flexibility with homework and class work deadlines “Teachers could excuse the pupil if they came late and after the lesson they could talk together about what is happening. They could give the pupil books to take home to study” - Allowances for YC to be late for school - Put young carer in a different class

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Additional support with schoolwork - Offer YCs one to one support in the classroom - Have a homework club. - Let them (YC) talk to people - Help them (YC) with subject they are weak in. - Give the young carer some schoolwork or exercise books to study at home – “also the school should send a teacher home to teach the young carer” Emotional support - Boost YCs confidence - “Talk about YCs in Circle time” - Be nice to the Young Carers. - Let them (YC) talk to someone - Support - Booster classes at break - Activities Club to make friends “We should have more anti-bullying week so, young carers can talk to teachers more often” - Letting the Young Carer talk to someone like a teacher or counsellor so they can express their feelings Practical support - Give YCs permission to call home - Let YCs go home early or when they needed to - They (School) can contact somebody that will look after the person that is in need. (relative or someone from the Young Carer Group) - Let students carry mobiles but not use them unless they want to call home - Give YCs a longer lunch break so that they can go home and check on their parent. - “Get in contact with the Young Carers Organisation for help. Maybe have a Learning Mentor to help the child in class” Information and advice - Receive extra advice and be given Learning Mentors “School should check on how the child is doing at home and if they are not doing well, because someone has a disability at home, they can support them by giving advice and also help them to be confident. They can do this by talking to the child” Set up support services within school - Have a Young Carers meeting every month

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“Have a Young Carers meeting so all the young carers can know that they are not the only ones, they can all share their feelings and become friends...” - Have a homework club. - Provide free school dinners because YC may not have time to prepare lunch - A box to keep secrets in - Young Carers Club (for support) “Start a drop in session for people that have problems (where you have the option of bringing a friend) or start a club on Young Carers and give them support and advice! It could either be for Young Carers or give information out about young carers!” - Buddy Scheme or “have a diary where you write all your feelings and someone from the Young Carers Project reads it” Sensitivity, confidentiality, trust & discretion “Respect the young carer and don’t ask leading questions because it would make them uncomfortable. Handle the situation carefully and in the right way. Don’t ask straight forward questions in the whole class but ask question in private” Students were asked to suggest general ways in which schools could support young carers at school. It is important to take on board the fact that the students participating in the research had just entered year 7 therefore they may not be aware of the resources and support services currently available at the school in particular for students that are young carers. And, as stated above, the comments should be read as the desire of students to help fellow students who are young carers. It is clear from the above responses that adopting a sensitive and flexible approach when dealing with the issues faced by young people that may potentially be young carers. There is a need for a ‘named person’ in school that acts as a point of contact for teachers and other members of staff so, that young carers can be signposted to services in and outside of school in a timely manner. However it is recognised that although groups are a creative and productive method of engaging young people there are obvious time limitations on groups being held during lunchtimes and therefore exploring the possibility of offering after school clubs. Also incorporating issues faced by young carers in existing groups held at school can raise awareness about the issues facing young carers and develop greater understanding amongst students/school about young carers missing sessions and not being penalised for this is as it could be related to their caring duties at home.

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Moreover, if teachers are able to recognise patterns in a young persons behaviour school could target out young carers and encourage them to attend young carers groups both in school and outside of school. Furthermore from students above contributions on developing a school protocol on young carers the following points have been summarised as important factors in ensuring that young carers needs are appropriately met in school in accordance with the Every Child Matters 5 key outcomes; Ensure young carers get permission to go home after lunch and bring in a note from home explaining the situation particularly is they are going to be late or absent from school. Young carers need to express/share issues around worrying, not being able to concentrate, being bullied, lacking self-esteem, feeling angry, frustrated and/or socially isolated. Importance of confidentiality in regards to what information is shared and with whom it is disclosed to in school. Being understanding, providing advice and information to young carers so that they are aware of the support services available to them both in and outside of school. Teachers to look for patterns in a student’s behaviour to help them to identify as to whether a young person is also a young carer. Raising awareness in class and also delivering lessons on accepting differences and respecting others. Feedback Forms from students following PSHE sessions Students responded positively to the PSHE session and were able to provide a variation of facts that they had learnt about young carers. Students appeared to have developed a good knowledge of the issues facing young carers and were able to suggest sensitive and creative ways of supporting young carers in school (please refer to section on School Protocol). “young carers have a stressful life but take pride in their work” The majority of students said that they enjoyed watching the Young Carers DVD although some students said that they found it upsetting. Students said that they would have liked to have done role play/drama or discussed the issues facing young carers in an open group forum rather than having to write everything down. The overall response was positive and students said that they also enjoyed completing ‘a day in the life of a young carer’ activity as it helped them to

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recognise how being a young carer would impact upon their life and made them appreciative of what they had at home. “it was a good thoughtful lesson to have” “I thought it was great” “I liked that I learned a lot that I didn’t know before” In the comments section students asked valuable questions relating to how some illnesses or disabilities were contracted which, were clarified in the second PSHE session using a short quiz and final school assembly. Questions were raised about parents with drug and alcohol issues as well as children being removed by social services if these problems existed. How a person gets cancer, a disability, eczema and aids were also raised in the PSHE sessions and feedback forms. This would suggest that although awareness has been raised about the existence of young carers in school a multiple of other issues have arisen which would require further discussion in future PSHE lessons. Feedback from Questionnaires A qualitative research method was used which gave the respondents an opportunity to share their suggestions, views and opinions. Sample: In total 6 questionnaires where completed by 4 teachers and 2 Learning Mentors working with year 7 students at the school. The Teacher Awareness Training was successful in meeting its objectives in relation to raising awareness about Young Carers whereby all the respondents were able to define the term “young carer” and describe how being a young carer may impact upon the young persons life at school, in the following ways;

• Stress • Fatigue • Difficulties with homework • Social problems • Time to socialise with young people • Guilty feeling when not caring • Exhaustion • Isolation • Underachieving

Respondents were able to identify the following signs and symptoms that may indicate a student is a young carer;

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• “Tired, not appearing to manage time or workload very efficiently” • “Poor attendance” • “Feelings of depression” • “Incomplete homework” • “Concerns about being kept in school after school, and not getting

home straight away” Possible ways to identify young carers in school Half of the respondents said that they would not know what steps to undertake in order to identify whether a pupil was a young carer whereas two respondents said that they would ask the student why homework was not complete, why they were tired and what they did last night or refer them to a Learning Mentor? Awareness about Young Carers Rights & Young Carers Support Services Four respondents said that they did not know what the school protocol was on supporting Young carers, as it had not been addressed or as far as they were aware there was no school protocol on young carers. Two respondents said that the school protocol involved offering the student support through a learning mentor, learning support, coaching with a teacher or additional homework support. The total number of respondents said that they were not aware that a young carer has his or her own right to a Young Carers Assessment. In terms of respondents’ awareness about the type of support available to young carer’s three respondents said that following the Teacher Awareness Training they were aware of the Young Carers Project while the remaining three respondents gave no response or said that they were not aware of any support. What schools can do to help support young carers in school In terms of what support in the respondents opinion school should offer young carers the following suggestions were given;

• Peer/Group support • Additional support with schoolwork • Support for dependents while children are at school • Reduced timetable – “all teachers concerned with student should know

they are a young carer” • Mentoring – coaching • Extra sessions during lunch to help with coursework – provision for use

of ICT

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• Understanding of the issues they face & provide the support that they ask for

• Emotional support through Learning Mentor • Academic support arranged between student and teacher

Multi-agency working Schools In terms of respondents opinions about the extent of the links made by schools with external agencies in order to meet the needs of young carers; Half of the respondents said “I don’t know” 1 said n/a 1 said “very few if any” 1 said inset training with agencies coming in to discuss issues with school staff In response to the benefits of multi-agency working schools Half of the respondents said, “don’t know” or not sure 1 said more opportunities to help those in need 2 respondents were positive about more partnership working which worked in the best interests of the student and their families. In relation to: How integrated services help towards identifying and supporting young carers in school? Half of the respondents said “don’t know” or not sure. The results of the questionnaire suggest that respondents lacked awareness about multi-agency working schools but were positive about forming external links and working in partnership with children and young people’s services. From the above responses respondents are aware of the range of support that the school offers students and identifies how young carers can receive additional support with their academic work during lunchtime. What was clear from the respondents feedback in the questionnaires were their concerns about not being able to effectively meet the needs of students if teachers were not made aware of the fact that the young person was also a young carer.

“identification to enable support to be out in place”

Addressing the barriers that prevent Young Carers from coming forward How school can address the barriers that prevent young carers from coming forward was an area, which respondents offered many suggestions to which focused on:

• “Creating a safe, supportive and comfortable environment in which students can express themselves without fear of consequences”

• “Educating every member of staff”

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• “Raising awareness” • “Trust and discretion” • “Contact with other young carers”

Level of awareness about Young Carers in school and awareness raising Half of the respondents rated their awareness about young carers as ‘limited’, two said that it was ‘poor’ and one said that it was ‘good’. Respondents suggested that the most effective methods of raising awareness about young carers within schools were through planned meetings, assemblies and interactive workshops in class incorporating drama/role play.

• “More specific information and guidance for teachers” • “Young carers to deliver the session to students” • “Programme for students and staff” • “PSHE”- lessons

COMMENTS “Even if young carers don’t want teachers to know, we should know, we are professionals how can we meet their needs if we don’t know!” The general consensus amongst teachers and learning support staff was that unless they were appropriately informed about the students young carer status they were unable to effectively respond to and meet the young person’s needs in a planned, sensitive and flexible way.

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Conclusion and Recommendations The literature on young carers shows that young carers are at risk of social isolation, bullying and underachieving at school. Despite this only SENCOs and LAC workers have a duty to maintain written records about students that have special educational needs or are looked after by the local authority hence, there is currently no statutory requirement for staff to record the number of young carers in school. Furthermore with no school database or system in place for documenting information shared between students and their teachers about their caring role at home developing a database on which this information can recorded as well as, designating a ‘named person’ for each year group, preferably the Head of year as opposed to one member of staff for the whole year is an effective means of generating statistical data and closely monitoring the progress of young carers at the school. Creating a young carers database that can be shared and accessed by external agencies would also improve and develop inter-agency links as well as, encourage collaborative working. The reoccurring themes highlighted in the PSHE sessions and homework in terms of what school could do to support young carers in school focused on offering practical support, information and advice about support services available to young carers and their families, extra support in the classroom, emotional support – learning mentor, flexibility with, lateness, poor attendance and homework deadlines, allowing young carers to call home while maintaining trust. The homework covered a range of issues from bullying, feeling guilty, worried, embarrassed and sad thus was insightful and reflected the level of awareness that students had gained about young carers through the assembly and PSHE lessons. Thus the research has been successful in meeting its aims in terms of raising awareness about young carers in school however the small sample of questionnaires completed by teachers/learning mentors suggests that the knowledge base and understanding that professionals have about the issues affecting young carers are limited. Therefore in response to teachers requests for training the following suggestions which include the Young Carers Project Co-ordinator delivering the PSHE Packs in SPACE (Social, personal and citizenship education) lessons as opposed to just distributing them to the school: including the topic of young carers in the school curriculum so that awareness is raised across the year groups and also, training young carers as trainers and inviting them to deliver the PSHE lessons in schools are interesting ideas. However in discussions with the Young Carers Co-ordinator funding to train young carers is limited also young carers have no time to undergo such training due to their caring responsibilities moreover, they are not interested in undertaking unpaid work, as research has shown that many families are dependent on benefits and lack financial security. There was also a lack of knowledge about what services are available for young carers once they are identified by school as well as, the schools level

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of contact with outside agencies. Therefore there is a need for the school to develop a protocol on sharing information with external agencies such as the Young Carers Project and social services for example, this can be explored by having a debate about how information shared between students and staff is passed on and handled within a multi-agency partnership context. However before this clarification needs to be gained about what the status is on social workers sharing information with the school and what structures and services they can suggest putting in place to support young carers in school. On a positive note a young carer already referred to the Young Carers Project stated that following the PSHE sessions they were able to confide in their friends about being a young carer. The school has also stated that they will include a question about young carers on the forms distributed during transition week to all year 6 students visiting secondary school, just before they start year 7. Young people spend the majority of their time at school thus; teachers are in a very unique position of identifying young people that may be young carers by looking at their patterns of behaviour. This study has shown that one of the original aims of the research which was to identify young carers in school is difficult both on a practical and theoretical level hence highlighted that intensive awareness raising in schools is a more productive approach to promoting the issues affecting young carers in school, as it empowers young carers to identify themselves as well as, encourages them to come forward and seek help and support. Feedback included in questionnaires completed by young carers and received from staff during teacher training awareness highlighted the need for teachers to be better equipped in dealing with the issues affecting young carers. Teachers asked for training in acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge about young carers so that they feel confident about approaching young people directly and signposting them to the appropriate support services.

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Marsden, R. (1995) Young Carers and Education, London: Borough of Enfield Education Department. Morgan, R. (2006) Being a young carer: views from a young carer’s workshop, Newcastle upon Tyne: Commission for Social Care Inspection. Moran et al (2007) 'Multi-agency working: implications for an early-intervention social work team' Child & Family Social Work. Olsen, R. (1996) ‘Young carers: challenging the facts and politics of research into children and caring’, Disability and Society, 11(1) Parker G & Olsen R, (1995) ‘A Sideways Glance at Young Carers’, in Department of Health, Young Carers: Something to Think About, London: Department of Health. Walker A, (1996) Young Carers and their Families, London: The Stationary Office. Webster (1996) as cited in C. Dearden & S. Becker (2004) Young Carers in the UK: The 2004 Report, London: Carers UK.