Current guidance on young carers for schools

Current guidance on young carers for schools (England and Wales)

The Government’s Carers Strategy, Caring about Carers, issued by the Dept of Health.

The government’s suggestions for schools are found in Chapter 8, including:

The Government will draw schools’ attention to effective practice in meeting the needs of pupils who are young carers, for example, through link arrangements with young carers’ projects. The Green Paper on teaching “ Teachers – Meeting the Challenge of Change!” suggests that many of the tasks which need to be carried out in schools could be allocated to dedicated staff who do not need to be teachers, but who have the right skills and time to develop special expertise. Schools might find it helpful to have one member of staff to act as a link between young carers, the education welfare service, social services and young carers’ projects. Their role would be one of liaison with the relevant services. The person could benefit from getting to know others who can help young carers and what services are available in the area to meet their needs. This would be a proactive way of recognising the difficulties faced by young carers and getting help to them, both within and outside the school. Young carers may need the opportunity to talk to someone at school (perhaps their teacher or someone else with the right skills) in a way which is confidential and sensitive.

14. Punctuality and attendance at school are important. Arriving late or missing school can disrupt a child’s education. However, schools need to be sensitive to the individual problems faced by young carers. We have already alerted head teachers and local education authority staff, such as education welfare officers, to the particular needs of young carers in our integrated guidance on school attendance and behaviour, which was issued for consultation in January.

Improving support for young carers

16. We will also:

• Improve awareness training about young carers for General Practitioners, primary health care teams, social workers and teachers at the time of their initial training and subsequently, through providing opportunities for young carers to share their experience with professionals.
• Promote awareness of young carers in schools through ensuring that teaching on Personal, Social and Health Education includes references to young carers.
• Encourage schools to designate someone to act as a link, for young people who are carers, with social services, the health service and any young carers’ project.

DfES guidance on young carers

1. Current guidance on young carers for schools (England and Wales)
2. DfES guidance on young carers
3. Current guidance on young carers for schools (Scotland)
4. Health and Community Care (Scotland) 2002 Act