1. Training Event (14 - 19 November 2016)
Care 2 Work
YOUNG, BLACK AND MINORITY ETHNIC CARERS
UK01-KA
Training Event ( November 2016)
Athens, Greece
Dr Theo Gavrielides
Founder and Director

2. Care 2 Work – Aims and Objectives
Care 2 Work is a 2 – year programme (started in May 2015) funded under the new Erasmus+ Key Action 2 in the field of youth that aims to:
Tackle the barriers faced by young carers from Black and Minority ethnic groups (BME) in accessing employment, education and training.
Empower young BME carers by recognising and cultivating skills developed through caring and turning them into a sustainable skill-set that can be transferred to employment.

3. Care 2 Work – Aims and Objectives
3. Increase the capacity of service providers, youth professionals and educational services in the areas of integration, equity, inclusion and discrimination.
4. Promote cultural and institutional change that can be embedded within our modern European societies.

4. Care 2 Work & European Policy Framework
The Care 2 Work project is inspired and motivated by the priorities of the European Youth Strategy and is developed aligned with the provisions of Lisbon Treaty:
In 2009 the Council of Ministers Responsible for Youth adopted the new European Youth Strategy aiming to guide both the EU institutions and the member states in pursuing policies to improve the lives of all young people.
Lisbon Treaty: “Encourage the participation of young people in democratic life in Europe”

5. The strategic partnership
The programme is designed and delivered in partnership with our 3 European Partners, namely:
Anziani e non solo (Italy)
Linnaeus University (Sweden) and
the Family and Children Care Centre (Greece).
The IARS International Institute acts as a Coordinator

6. Care 2 Work: Methodology
Over the last 12 months Sweden, Italy, Greece and United Kingdom developed in their native national language four national reports taking into consideration their national differences including:
Cultural
Societal
Financial
Institutional
The reports consist a strong evidence base that will guide the next steps of the projects.

7. Care 2 Work: A rights-based approach
A human rights based approach means that individuals and communities should know their rights. It also means that they should be fully supported to participate in the development of policy and practices which affect their lives and to claim rights where necessary.
Through an Independent Youth Advisory Board, Care 2 Work utilises a youth-led methodology that directly involves young carers in the development, delivery and evaluation of the project. Through their active engagement and involvement not only they learn their rights but also shape, influence and inform policies and practices that affect them directly.

8. Care 2 Work: Definitions
Young Carers: Young people who provide assistance or support to other family members and are between the ages of The carry out, on a regular basis significant caring tasks and assume a level of responsibility.
Care receiver: Parent, a sibling, grandparent or other relative who is disabled, with chronic illness, mental health problem or other condition with need for care/support/supervision.
Next of kin and young carers: Not all “next of kin” are young carers
“Black and minority ethnic”: Not defined consistently – used interchangeably for young people from ethnic minority or foreign background.

9. Care 2 Work: Key Comparative Findings
Young Carers are usually under the radar of research, educational and social justice policies –
Young Carers in numbers:
UK: 1.5 million carers below the age of 35.
Italy: 170,000 young carers
Sweden: national statistics are unavailable
Greece: national statistics are unavailable
Young BME people are twice as likely to be young carers

10. Care 2 Work: Key Comparative Findings
Families from ethnic backgrounds are less likely in general to access services that support young people with a disability or mental health problem due to Cultural attitudes held about the shame or stigma associated with disability or mental illness in the family.
Common reasons of becoming a young carer in BME community include:
Financial difficulties
Inability to access the welfare system associated with migration status (eg. Language barriers)
Moral obligation to take care of their families

11. Care 2 Work: Key Comparative Findings
Common problems and obstacles young carers are facing with regards to their roles as carers:
Lack of training or knowledge on how to take care of their people in need
Access to relevant information
Lack of psychological support
Common problems and obstacles in relation to their personal and professional development
Social isolation
Fewer possibilities for personal and professional development
Lack of educational support

12. Care 2 Work: Key Comparative Findings
Common problems and obstacles in relation to their personal and professional development (continued)
Language barriers
Frustration caused by fewer opportunities to improve their living standards – trapped in a vicious circle of poverty.
Suppress their own emotional, social and economic needs.
Common needs of young carers:
Need for psychological support
Need for communication
Need for financial support
Need for education information on the care of their family member in need.

13. Care 2 Work: Key Comparative Findings
Common needs of young carers (continued):
Peer support groups
awareness raising activities towards both young people and the community
Counselling
Respite carer and access to recreational activities
Existing support by the State
Absence/ limited work of public services
Non Governmental Organisations and European funded initiatives are not adequate to cover the increasing needs of young carers
Limited or absence of legal and policy framework for young carers

14. Care 2 Work: Key Comparative Findings
Developing Skills through Caring: Empowerment through Experience
The interviewed young carers identified a number of positive impacts on their skills that gained through caring including:
Communication
Conflict management
Perception
Motivation
Stress management
Team work
Resilience
Empathy

15. Care2Work: Achievements
E-Publication: Gavrielides et.al (2016). Young Black and Minority Ethnic Carers: Barriers and Opportunities for Employment and Education. London. IARS Publications

16. Care2Work: Achievements
1st International Conference: "Barriers Understood: Black Minority Ethnic Carers in Europe“, 10th February 2016, Capri – Italy Keynote speakers: Patrizio Bianchi, Regional Ministry for European policies, development, school,VET, research and employment in the Emilia Romagna Region - Albert Bellelli, Mayor of Carpi, Giorgia Silvestri, Coordinator of services for children - Aliante social cooperative, Nora Marzi, Psychologist – Local Health Service - Modena. A young carer was also shared her experiences of caring for her bi-polar mother at young age.

17. Care2Work: Achievements
Development of the "Care2Work" website Since September 2015, the website has 2,289 users and 6,895 page views

18. Care2Work: Achievements
Development and piloting of face to face training sessions for professionals and Young People The training received CPD Accreditation Total reach: 80 professionals and young people in 4 partner countries

19. Care2Work: 6 Day Training Workshop
Key Objective
The 6 day training puts special emphasis on cross learning, mobility and cultural awareness.
It brings together youth workers from Greece, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom to give us the opportunity to learn, train and practise together

20. Care2Work: 6 Day Training Workshop
It also aims to:
Raise awareness and increase knowledge among professionals and young people about young BME carers;
Contribute to the empowerment of the young participants and to viewing themselves and their skills as an important resource for future employment and/or further education opportunities;
Provide the participants with a deeper insight into how the soft skills can work and what benefits they mean in an educational or working context.

21. After the training workshop
Transfer learning to our respective organisations
Accredited Online training courses for professionals and young people.
1 day international conference in April 2017 in London (UK). The event will act as the final conference of the programme and will be organised by the IARS International Institute. Key figures will be invited to speak alongside young people and beneficiaries from the programme. The event will also reach out to relevant policy-makers and stakeholders as well as encouraging the adoption of the outputs by EU-countries not represented in the project partnership.

22. Thank You!
The IARS International Institute 14 Dock Offices Surrey Quays Road London SE16 2XU United Kingdom Tel. (0044)
Followed by Activity 1 and Activity 2