30th January 2020 marks the annual Young Carers Awareness day, organised nationally by Carers Trust. This day enables us to focus on the needs of young carers, and how much work there is still to do to get the support in place to minimise the impact on their lives. Looking at the statistics produced today, we can measure how well we do, and where we still need to work harder. Did you know the average number of school days missed or cut short as a result of a young person’s caring role is 48, or that two in three young carers reported to the survey that they have been bullied in school? Our work with all local schools, supporting lunchtime drop in sessions, liaising with school young carer leads, and recommending referrals to our service can help with this. We can also attend statutory meetings on their behalf when more intervention is needed, and speak on behalf of the child. Another statistic shows that 1 in 3 young carers say their caring role makes them feel stressed, and 23% felt their caring role has stopped them making friends, we can help combat this social isolation with the weekly after school clubs, holiday drop in clubs and trips that we provide.
