Young Carers

In Harrow, we have defined a Young Carer as:

“A child or young person aged under 18 who provides regular or on-going care and emotional support to a someone who is physically or mentally ill, disabled or misuses substances”.

Young Carers:

• Might be caring for a parent, sibling, grandparent, or someone outside their family;
• Caring role may extend to looking after siblings or other children because a parent in need of care, or an adult carer, is struggling to do this themselves;
• Do not have to be the main carer to be considered a Young Carer.

A child providing the following types of support in the context.

The Local Authority is expected to take ‘reasonable steps’ to identify which children in their area are young carers, and if they have the need for support (Children and Families Act 2014). Council employees should always consider whether a child might be a Young Carer and offer appropriate support.

If a child is providing any of the following, on a regular or on-going basis for, or as a result of, someone who is physically or mentally ill, disabled or misuses substances, they are likely to be a Young Carer:

• Domestic / Household Activity;
• Household or Financial Management;
• Personal / Intimate / Medical Care;
• Emotional Care;
• Sibling Care;
• Travel or Communication support;
• Other relevant responsibilities.

Not all Young Carers will have needs for support, but most will benefit from some support, whether in universal services, the voluntary sector or more specialist services.

Many Young Carers, or their families, are reluctant to identify as Young Carers, accept that they have needs, or accept outside help. Council staff have an important role role in encouraging them to do this.

Children who provide practical and/or emotional support to others, but not because of an illness or substance misuse issue are also eligible for support by service if their responsibilities are risking/causing them to have needs (subject to these risks/needs meeting thresholds for services).

For a detailed list of signs that children may be Young Carers, see the full Young Carers Guidance document.

Our obligations to Young Carers are set out in ‘Children and Families Act 2014’ and ‘Young Carers (Needs Assessments) Regulations 2015’. These are as follows:

Young Carers Needs Assessment

A local authority must assess whether a young carer within their area has needs for support and, if so, what those needs are, if:

1. It appears to the authority that the young carer may have needs for support, or
2. The authority receive a request from the young carer or a parent of the young carer to assess the young carer’s needs for support.

How this works in practice:

• Low Level Needs / Risk: Universal Services support. Early Support can signpost or refer;
• Additional Needs/ Moderate Risk of Future Needs: Early Help to undertake ‘Family Led Needs Analysis’;
• Complex or Multiple Needs (Child in Need, or Child Protection): Social Work Assessment.

Checklist for Young Carers Needs Assessment

Young Carers Needs Assessments should meet all of the following requirements:

Before starting:

• Identify an appropriate worker, having regard to the young carer’s circumstances, in particular their age, sex and understanding;
• Determine if there are any ongoing or upcoming assessments of the young carer, the person cared for, or a member of the young carer’s family. If so, consider whether to determine a young carer’s needs as part of these, or separately;
• Provide young carer and/or their family with information about the process, to enable them to participate effectively;
• Should the young carer be offered an an advocate?

What to cover:

• The amount, nature and type of care which the young carer provides (or intends to provide);
• The extent to which this care is (or will be) relied upon by the family, including the wider family, to maintain the well-being of the person cared for (or siblings);
• The outcomes which the young carers seeks;
• Identify the young carer’s friends and family, and consider how those persons can contribute to meeting the outcomes sought.

Who to involve:

• Involve the young carer, their parents, and any person who the young carer or a parent requests the authority to involve;
• Persons with expertise and knowledge in relation to the young carer, where appropriate to do so;
• Consider existing assessments etc. which have been carried out in relation to the needs for support of the young carer or the person who is cared for, where appropriate.

Professional Judgements you should make:

• Whether the care which the young carer provides (or intends to provide) impacts on the young carer’s well-being, education and development;
• Whether the tasks which the young carer is performing (or intends to perform) are excessive or inappropriate, having regard to all the circumstances, and in particular the carer’s age, sex, wishes and feelings;
• Whether any of the young carer’s needs for support could be prevented by providing services to the person cared for, or another member of the carer’s family;
• What the young carer’s needs for support would be likely to be if the carer were relieved of part or all of the tasks the young carer performs (or intends to perform);
• Whether the young carer is a child in need; under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989;
• Actions to be taken as a result;
• Arrangements for a future review (if appropriate).

A Young Carers Assessment Toolkit is available to support workers in doing this.

Where a Young Carer appears to be at risk of Significant Harm, then the appropriate safeguarding procedures must be followed immediately.

Older Young Carers (15+)

When determining the needs of older Young Carers, staff should consider whether to talk about transition to adulthood within the process. ‘Transition Assessments’ are a required process for Young Carers, as set out in the statutory guidance accompanying the Care Act 2014.

For more guidance about when to undertake a transition assessment, how to do this and what to cover, see the full Young Carers Guidance document.

Refusing to undertake a Young Carers Needs Assessment

A Young Carers Needs Assessment can be refused by the local authority only if:

• The local authority has already carried out an assessment of the young carer’s need for support connected with their care for a particular person and needs or circumstances have not changed.