1. Improving the identification and support of young carers
Trainer’s notes:
If you are delivering these modules in a one day session, before you start, you may wish to announce
where the loos are,
when refreshments will be served,
where the fire exits are, and
whether or not any fire alarm tests are planned
You may wish to hand out the agenda, if this is not included in delegate packs
Add trainer/s name/s in here

2. This training was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care
Acknowledgements
This training was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care
The training was developed by Carers Trust
Training delivery and development was supported by four Carers Trust Network Partner members
Carers Support Centre Bristol and South Gloucestershire
Carers Bucks
Northamptonshire Carers Association
Sunderland Carers Centre
Trainer’s notes:
You are welcome to use and adapt this training, please make sure you have acknowledged the organisations on this slide.
Here is some more information about the Department of Health and Social Care:
The Department of Health and Social Care civil servants support ministers in leading the nation’s health and social care to help people live more independent, healthier lives for longer. Its role as a  department of state is to:             
•help ministers shape and deliver policy that delivers government objectives
•anticipate the future and lead debate on global and domestic health
•make sure the department and its arm’s length bodies deliver their commitments
•co-ordinate the legal, financial and policy frameworks in health and social care, and
•create solutions to resolve complicated issues and challenges

3. Overview of Carers Trust
Carers Trust is a national charity, and the largest provider of comprehensive carer services in the UK.
Network of 147 local carers’ organisations, Network Partners.
In 2016/17 we reached more than 509,900 carers, including 23,162 young carers.
Working together in partnership to achieve change for carers.
Carers Trust also runs projects and programmes, including a Grants programme for Network Partners.
Trainer’s notes: This provides more information about Carers Trust.
You may also wish to explain that the first part of the project was that Carers Trust underwent an evidence-gathering process using a range of methods including desk based research, surveys and interviews. This process looked at identifying successful local approaches to the identification of young carers and understanding the factors contributing to success. It also tried to identify the challenges involved in identifying young carers and potential ways of overcoming these challenges. The findings of the report emphasise the importance of the Whole Family Approach in all settings e.g. Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), all NHS services, schools, local authorities and in self-referral. The modules are based on the research, as well as the experience of the training events delivered by Network Partners.

4. Network Partners
Independent charities, offer young carers practical and emotional support, a chance to be young people, and a break from their caring responsibilities
Offer activities, clubs, outings, holidays and one-to-one support.
Help find other sources of support so that fewer families rely on a child or young person for care.
Give one-to-one support and mentoring in schools/colleges and in the community to young carers who most need support.
Raise awareness with, and train, teachers, doctors, youth workers and other professionals to recognise the signs of a hidden caring role and to offer support on young people’s health, wellbeing and education.
The Resource Library in Module 5 details how you can find your nearest Network Partner or young carers service

5. Overview of organisation delivering the training
You may wish to customise this slide to talk about who you help, and how you provide that help
E.g. We help over [number] young people / carers within [area]
Over [number] supported [last year]
Team of [number] members of staff
Trainer’s notes:
If you are providing a training day, or training sessions over a short period of time, you may wish to customise this slide.
If you are delivering this to a group of people who already know each other, this slide may be less useful.
Each module has an explanation of what you will learn in each module, overall, at the end of the day, you should feel confident in identifying and supporting young carers, and how you can make an offer of support to them.
There is a evaluation form to complete at the end of the day.

6. Ground rules
Everyone has a valid contribution to make, which will be valued and listened to.
Where there are differences in views, these will be listened to sensitively or questioned in a way which is helpful to the group.
We will respect and support confidentiality on a personal and professional level.
Mobile phones are to be turned off or to remain on silent.
Trainer’s notes:
These are suggested ground rules to help everyone get the most out of the day
The group you are training may wish to adapt or change these
If you are already a group who knows each other e.g. a GP practice staff team, you may not need to use these

7. Ice breaker and introductions
Trainer’s notes
Ice breakers provide a good way to get everyone talking. You could ask people to work in pairs or in groups on their tables. A simple one is “what did you have for breakfast?” or “how did you get here today?”
You might also like to do a quiz – people could work together on tables or in pairs/threes. A quiz is supplied with these materials.
If you have time, everyone saying their name, where they work or volunteer, and what they hope to get out of the day is helpful, so that everyone knows who’s in the room and can network, it may also help you to group people appropriately during the day, and check you are managing learning outcomes and expectations around the day too

8. Objectives of Module 1: who are young carers and what do they do?
You will find out:
Who young carers are and what challenges they face.
Who is likely to be a young carer.
What type of roles and responsibilities young carers have.
The nature of the tasks that young carers often carry out and how this may differ from those undertaken by adult carers.
As a trainer, you may wish to share some brief professional/appropriate personal background info here e.g. I have worked for x for y years, or I have personal experience of supporting a young carer in my family
This training session is for those who wish to gain understanding and confidence in being able to identify young carers and discuss non-judgmentally and sensitively with the family what support is available and appropriate.
By the end of this training you will:
Be more confident in recognising young carers
Understand the potential Impact of young caring
Know why some young carers remain ‘hidden’
Have an awareness of the ways in which young carers can be identified
 Please do ask questions.
Some people may be carers themselves and the session may reflect a situation at home. Although you are free to bring in personal experience in discussions, this is completely your decision.

9. Task
In groups, discuss what you think the definition of a young carer is.
Trainer’s notes:
Depending on the size of the group, this can be done in pairs, or in small groups or taking turns to raise a hand and call out

10. Who is a young carer?
A young carer is someone under 18 who helps look after someone in their family, or a friend, who is ill, disabled or misuses drugs or alcohol.
Trainer’s notes:
Read out this definition and ask delegates for their thoughts.
Explain that this definition is widely used, and is similar to that used in the Children and Families Act (explain this Act will be covered later) …
Ask delegates if they would consider a mental health issue as something a young carer supports with? Or have they thought more of physical disabilities?
What is included within disabilities? Long-term conditions? Learning disabilities?
Explain that some people may realise that they were a young carer, or may have a young carer in their family. Invite them to get support with that if they feel they need it – we will cover how they can get support for young carers today - and if they feel they would like to talk to someone about their experiences growing up, they may wish to see their GP or perhaps their HR team

11. Frequently asked questions
‘Caring is what people do in a family isn’t it – what’s wrong with that?’
‘What is normal caring’? I expect my children to help out and none of us have a disability’.
‘Why aren’t young carers all seen as ‘children in need’ or ‘in need of protection’?
Trainer’s notes:
Make sure participants are clear that this is not about children and young people helping around the house, or supporting each other as part of family life
Use the consequences analogy – consequences of child (in household with no caring) not doing washing-up might be loss of Xbox time, or not being allowed to go to a party; for young carers this may mean there are no clean dishes, or if you don’t watch your sibling, your sibling runs out of the house and into the road
Be careful to address and explore any issues here participants may have with inadvertent stigma around disability, disabled parents, substance misuse etc
e.g. a disabled parent choosing to have a child – help participants to understand that disabled parents aren’t the issue, systems that support that family are failing them; also that not all disabled parents need support, and that not all children living in a family with a disabled person are young carers
Substance misuse services are also stretched – this is a genuine condition, even if one of the ways to recovery is through behaviour change, this doesn't mean it’s easy to do so. Ask participants if they have ever tried to give up or start something e.g. give up smoking, get fit – they are likely to have had stops and starts along the way, or found it difficult to start.
Equally, it is appropriate to explore if children in families with a substance misuse issue are safe – explain safeguarding is covered later.
The key elements are CHOICE & CONSEQUENCES. If you do not live in a family where someone has a disability and you choose not to do whatever tasks are your responsibility, then the consequences are likely to be stopped pocket money or a telling off.
If you make the same choice as a young carer the consequences could potentially be more profound e.g.
Your brother with Autism runs out of the house
Your parent goes without something to eat or drink for hours
Your dad has had a seizure whilst you were out playing football
Your mum is crying in bed when you get in from your friend’s house
There are not enough resources to support all families experiencing illness and disability. This is a fact. Whilst this is the case there will always be the need for children and young people to be helping with care needs.
To judge them all as Children in Need in terms of Statutory Duties would not only be impossible to process and manage but would create stigma around all parents who happen to have a disability.
We need to be identifying with sensitivity those who are in inappropriate roles or are struggling to cope.

12. Sons and daughters e.g. child of a disabled parent Siblings
Young carers can be:
Sons and daughters e.g. child of a disabled parent
Siblings
Grandchildren
Other relatives e.g. nieces/nephews, step-children
Not living with the person they care for
Looking after more than one person
Trainer’s notes;
Mention that all caring roles are different
Explain that modern family life is varied, young carers could have same sex parents, step-parents, step-siblings
They may not live with the person or people they care for, e.g. the person with care needs may live in residential care or be away at a residential school, step parent.
For these reasons they may not identify themselves as carers.
Members of the same family may view their roles, and be impacted, differently.
Ask delegates - Any surprises with this list?
Have they thought of any children or young people they work with and now thought of them differently as a potential young carer, thinking of their disabled sibling or disabled parent?

13. Task What do young carers do?
Work in groups to write down the care you think young carers may provide.
Trainer’s notes:
Use Household Handout 2
Delegates can draw or write what tasks they think young carers do and in which rooms
They can do this individually or in pairs or in small groups

14. Nature of tasks
A young carer may undertake some or all of the following:
Practical tasks: cooking, housework, shopping
Physical care: lifting, helping up the stairs
Personal care: dressing, washing, toileting needs
Household management: paying bills, managing finances, collecting benefits
Looking after siblings: putting to bed, walking to school
Supervision of medication: collecting medicines from pharmacies and making sure they are taken at the right time
Emotional support: listening, calming, being present
Trainer’s notes:
Ask delegates to share some of their key points and see if they match this list
Go over some of the key points of what young carers do
Ask delegates - Any surprises with this list?
You may get questions about whether these are age or gender appropriate – you may wish to explore these a little, or come back to it with the legislation question

15. Task
What impact might these different kinds of caring have on a young carer?
Trainer’s notes:
Give out Impact of Caring Handout 3

16. Impact of caring
If young carers are not properly assessed and supported, the effects on their health, wellbeing and life chances can be significant:
Physical health: often severely affected by caring through the night, repeatedly lifting a heavy adult, poor diet and lack of sleep.
Emotional wellbeing: stress, worry, tiredness and mental ill health are common for young carers.
Isolation: feeling different or isolated from their peers, limited opportunities for socialisation, bullying and harassment – more than two out of three young carers are bullied at school (Carers Trust 2010).
Unstable environment: traumatic life changes such as bereavement, family break-up, losing income and housing, or seeing the effects of an illness or addiction.
Education: irregular attendance, poor timekeeping, lack of concentration, difficulties with homework
Restricted training/ employment choices: lack of time for personal development, poor flexibility in work practices
Trainer’s notes:
Physical health – young carers may develop back aches or musculoskeletal problems if not properly assessed and support measures put in place
Emotional health – Physical signs of emotional health – tummy aches, head aches – these symptoms are real, but they may not have a physical cause
Ask delegates - Any surprises with this list?

17. Impact on young carers
Impact on education and employment, 27% of young carers aged experience educational difficulties or miss school because of their caring responsibilities, rising to 40% with parental mental ill health/substance misuse.
Poor educational outcomes. At GCSE level young carers perform the equivalent to nine grades lower i.e. the difference between nine C’s and nine D’s
Reduced employment opportunities, young carers aged between 16 and 18 years are twice as likely as their peers to not be in education, employment or training (NEET). Young adult carers in work at age 20/21 are more likely to be in lower skilled occupations
Trainer’s notes:
Ask participants if they are surprised by these figures?
Ask them if they now think they should be doing things differently when they engage with children and young people?
Sources:
[1] Dearden, C and Becker, S (2004), ‘Young Carers in the UK: The 2004 Report
[2] The Children’s Society (2013) , Hidden from view: The experiences of young carers in England
[3] Audit Commission (2010) Against the odds: Re-engaging young people in education, employment or training

18. A Young Carers School Bag
Bills and money worries
What if?
Is there any milk in the fridge?
I didn’t sleep last night
I never see my friends
I can’t concentrate
I need to check on home
This exercise can be done visually with an empty bag and some books labelled with the worries labelled here
What if - What if mum forgets to take her medication today? What if my dad falls down and can’t get up again? What if my sister has a seizure at school today? What if is a big question and they are unanswerable questions and worries which young carers can carry around with them all day.
I didn’t sleep last night - If you have a brother/sister with Autistic Spectrum Disorder or behavioural problems bedtime might be a long and noisy routine. Young carers might be sharing rooms with sibling, siblings might be banging on walls and doors. They might also be struggling because they are worried and stressed about the next day, they might be worrying about all the things they try not to think about during the day.
I need to check on mum (but I’m not allowed) - Most secondary school pupils are able to contact home during the day, at break time and lunch. But most primary school children will not have a mobile in the school, so they may worry during the day, especially if when they left this morning the scene could have been distressing- not a good start to the day which they will be carrying around with them all day.
Bills and money stresses- Worrying about money/rent/bills is an adult responsibility but lots of young carers can be aware of the family money troubles, young carers can do online banking for parents and are more likely to be aware of the family budget. Unwell parents might also be less mindful when having these discussions in front of the young carers
Is there any milk in the fridge? If there isn’t milk or fresh bread the person with care needs might not be able to leave the house that day. This might mean that they go all day without a cup of tea or lunch. Though this might sound like a small thing, if this was a young carers responsibility this could be quite stressful a big worry.
I can’t concentrate- Carrying around books 1-5 means that a young carers will struggle to concentrate during lessons.
I am so stressed, I hope they don’t notice- young carers can often get stressed, even over small things because they might already be carrying around so much. Young carers often fall behind at school, e.g. they can struggle to do their homework. Some young carers may become quite shy and withdrawn, trying to make themselves invisible so they don’t draw attention to themselves and how stressed and anxious they might be. Other young carers might become ‘a trouble maker’ in class, they might “kick off”, call out and become the ‘class clown’. They want to draw attention to this behaviour not how stressed and anxious they are feeling underneath. Some young carers may try to be sent out of the room if they haven’t done their homework because of their caring role. Other young carers who struggled to concentrate because they had a really hard week (in and out of hospitals etc.), may try to get sent out because it meant they could get some alone time. Young carers can struggle to cope.
I never see my friends- Young carers aren’t always able to have people round their houses to play i.e. ASD behavioural issues of a sibling, hospital/clinical environment, embarrassing home life- friends might not know dad uses a wheelchair. Soon invitations stop because they are unable to reciprocate the offer. Young carers may often struggle to go and play at the park/other peoples houses because they want to go straight home and check on the person they look after. Remember even in a 2 parent house hold the other parent might not return from work until 6pm where as a young carer could be home by 3:30.
Not all young carers carry all eight of these books, they might only carry one or two. But it will have an impact on their day, whether or not they feel happy attending school, youth clubs and friend’s houses.
I’m so stressed, I hope no one notices

19. Young carers in their own words
Trainer’s notes
We suggest you screen a short video here. A list of these are provided in the accompanying notes.
Ask participants afterwards if this helps them understand any of the issues we have discussed
Review what you have covered in module 1
You could schedule a short break here as this is the end of module 1