Young carers across East Sussex demand a fair future

Young carers in East Sussex will call for a fair future and call on the government for more support from local and national government on Young Carers’ Action Day (13 March). Cally Emerson writes.

There are an estimated one million young carers in the UK – children who provide care and/or support to a family member, including siblings, or a friend, who could not manage without their help. This could be due to illness, disability or age, and can involve physical and/or emotional support.

A recent inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers found these responsibilities are having a devastating effect on their education and future prospects. It revealed a shocking 15,000 UK children, including 3,000 aged just five to nine, spend at least 50 hours a week on caring.

“My favourite thing is that I get to talk to people a lot and I get to go out, it’s really nice to go out with the other young carers and stuff. I really like coming to the clubs. It makes a lot of difference to just mess around and be with others. My school has been helpful but not as much as young carers. I would love it if the clubs could be weekly, not just monthly.”

– D, aged 12

“The Young Carers’ Service has helped our family deal with my illness. Fantastic support for a young carer who was struggling with his peers, but is now happy to explain why he can’t do everything his friends do.”

– D’s mum

Young Carers’ Action Day is an annual event organised by Carers Trust to raise awareness of the pressures placed on so many young people. This year’s theme is ‘Fair Futures for Young Carers’, highlighting how young and young adult carers are significantly less likely to undertake higher education or enter employment than their peers without a caring responsibility.

To mark the day, Carers Trust and its network of organisations and young carers are launching a Young Carers Covenant, the first UK-wide commitment to young and young adult carers. Young carers and their support organisations have written to councillors and their local MPs, asking them to support the covenant. Businesses and schools are also being asked to sign up to the pledge.

Jennifer Twist, Chief Executive at Care for the Carers says, “Young carers  tell us how much they value the clubs, activities and support our service provides, but there is much more needed to provide the thousands of young carers in East Sussex and across the UK with the support they need and the opportunities they deserve. Care for the Carers is supporting the Young Carers Covenant and encouraging local services and organisations to sign up, to support young carers and young adult carers.”

“Our Young Carers Service is for all young carers aged 5 to 17 years, living, attending school or caring for someone in East Sussex. We run monthly Young Carers’ Clubs, free holiday activities, and we help young carers access services and activities. We also have a Young Adult Carer Service for carers aged between 17 and 25. Please get in touch with us if you know a young carer who needs support, or are a young carer yourself.”

About Care for the Carers

Care for the Carers is the Carers Centre for East Sussex and an independent charity supporting unpaid carers across the county. The charity is commissioned to provide services to carers by East Sussex County Council and the NHS.

The charity provides free practical and emotional advice to Carers and a range of services. Services include referrals to other local services, outreach support, one-to-one crisis help and guidance, coaching, training, wellbeing and support groups, activities and counselling. They strive to create carer friendly communities and peer support opportunities across East Sussex.

Care for the Carers aims to do more to help carers in East Sussex through raising awareness, fundraising and volunteering. Their work ensures that no one is left to care alone. Further information is available at: www.cftc.org.uk, by phoning 01323 738390 or emailing info@cftc.org.uk.

About their support for young people

The charity runs a Young Carers Service, for children and young people aged 5-18 years old, and a Young Adult Carers (YAC) project for young people aged 17-25 years old. They both run monthly evening groups, and a free activities programme, as well as employing specialist staff who can offer direct support to children and young people who are caring.

If you would like to know more about our work with Young Adult Carers then contact us on 01323 738390 or email info@cftc.org.uk

About young carers in East Sussex

A 2018 BBC survey revealed that one in five secondary children are caring for someone (Joseph, S (2018), BBC survey (BBC and University of Nottingham).

There are an estimated 21,000 young carers in East Sussex, and 3,500 young adult carers.

Caring can impact every area of a young person’s life, with 60% of adolescent young carers report mental health issues (Carers Trust), 44% always or usually feel stressed ( Carers Trust, March 2023), and over 80% feel lonely during the summer holidays (Action for Children, July 2023)

About Carers Trust

Carers Trust is the UK charity working to transform the lives of unpaid carers across the UK. It partners with its network of local carer organisations to provide funding and support, deliver innovative and evidence-based programmes and raise awareness and influence policy.​ Carers Trust’s vision is that unpaid carers are heard and valued, with access to support, advice and resources to enable them to live fulfilled lives. To find your nearest local carer organisation for advice and support, visit carers.org

No one left to care alone

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