YCV release ‘Who Cares in School?’ film

New film from Young Carers Voice calls for support for carers in schools.

Thanks to funding from Quartet Community Foundation, Young Carers Voice are pleased to announce they have made a film highlighting young carers’ experiences in school.

The film has been sent to every school in the Bristol and South Gloucestershire area. It explains what support is needed for young carers and how schools can improve support with help from the Young Carers in Schools programme. Please share the film far and wide. Young Carers Voice would also appreciate any feedback they can share with the amazing young carers involved, who were brave enough to share their stories on camera.

We work with schools through our Young Carers in Schools programme. We provide a toolkit to help make sure young carers are identified and support is put in place to help them manage.

There are likely to be young carers in every school and college, but many remain unidentified. In a Carers Trust survey, 39% said that nobody in their school was aware of their caring role.

Keith Sinclair, Chief Executive of Carers Support Centre, said:
“Young carers often miss out on their childhood. They can often become isolated due to caring duties, missing out on playing, seeing friends and other leisure activities. They can often miss lessons and as a result, can struggle to keep up with school work and not achieve their full potential. They can also suffer from bullying at school too, because they are seen as being different.”

Young carers sometimes experience physical health problems too due to heavy lifting, poor nutrition and lack of sleep. They can also suffer from mental health issues too, including stress, anxiety, low confidence and self-esteem.

Keith Sinclair concludes, “Many young carers have no choice but to look after parents and other family members, and many take on this responsibility without a second thought. It is crucial that young carers are identified at an early stage and get the support and help they so desperately need.”

You can help young carers by finding out if your local school is part of the Young Carers in Schools programme. If they are not, ask your school to get in touch with us on 0117 939 2562.