Commitments to young carers

The commitments to young carers have been co-produced with young carers and partners across South Tyneside.

This includes:

• schools
• education and training providers
• young carers organisations
• South Tyneside Council
• South Tyneside and Sunderland Foundation Trust

The commitments to young carers are practical steps schools, colleges and 6th form settings can take to help identify young carers and direct them to support.

Priority two of South Tyneside Carers Strategy 2022 to 2027 is 'to support young carers and young adult carers to achieve their full potential.'

One of the outcomes is to make sure young carers are supported to achieve their goals alongside their caring responsibilities. Schools, colleges and 6th form settings have a vital role to play in achieving this.

Young carers and young carers support organisations have told us young carers and young adult carers want to be supported in school, they want someone to talk to about their problems, they want understanding from their teacher if they're late or haven't been able to meet a deadline for their homework. They would like schools, colleges and 6th form settings to develop policies and tools to support them.

Young carers are now included on the school census return. By carrying out the commitments, it will help you to identify who the young carers are in your organisation and will also provide opportunities to use the data to monitor their attendance and attainment.

A young carer is a child or young person aged 25 or under, who provides or plans to provide care, practical help or emotional support to another person.

A young adult carer is a young person aged 16 to 25 who provides unpaid care or support to someone who has care and support needs.

For the purpose of the commitments when we refer to young carers this includes all young carers up to and including those aged 25 years.

The commitments to young carers are practical steps schools, colleges and 6^th form settings can take to help identify young carers and direct them to support.

Our commitments to young carers in education and training

• This will help identify and raise awareness about young carers.
• It will also help connect young carers into vital support.
• It will help young carers to thrive in education and training and have the same opportunities as their peers.
• It will help schools collect more accurate data on young carers for the school census return, which could be used to monitor attendance and attainment of young carers and can help schools in the future to put strategies in place, so that no young person is disadvantaged because of their caring role.

The Commitments do not involve targets or difficult reporting, or an obligation to carry out every commitment. It is based on the sharing of best practice, learning from others and some monitoring through the Healthy Schools Programme.

For the school census return to provide an accurate representation of the number of young carers in schools, schools will need to have systems and processes in place to:

1. raise awareness of young carers with all staff and pupils
2. flag who the young carers in your school are
3. make sure that young carers who are identified are linked into available support, both within school and externally.

The commitments are for all schools, colleges, and 6th form settings.

By signing up to the commitments, you are stating that your school, college or 6th form will do everything it can to identify and support young carers.

The aim is for all settings to commit to take small steps to supporting young carers and young adult carers so that they are never negatively affected by the impact of their caring responsibilities.

Sign up: Commitments to young carers

View the privacy notice.

If you need help with any of the information on these pages, please contact the Strategic Carers Liaison Officer by phone or online.

To get in touch call 0191 4247581 or email Jacqui.kaid@southtyneside.gov.uk.