YOUNG CARERS DELIVERY PLAN

Think Local Act Personal Theme / Things we need to do / What is already happening / Action
By / Timescale
Information and Advice / Develop clear information including Social Media for easier access to support, services, activities and events.
Include information on personal budgets and how to employ a Personal Assistant (PA).
Make sure information is easily available, like:
Posters, leaflets, internet/websites, school websites, Doctors waiting room/TV, availability of telephone numbers.
Identify “hidden” young carers. / CAST YCS PROJECT: Consistent Awareness raising programme delivered within all schools/ college / partners in social care/health and voluntary sector/
Young Carers Facebook page/Cast website/ Council website
Young Carers steering group / regular consultation and feedback
CAST YCS Project: Young Carers newsletter Carers Trust (new online service launched Jan 2015 for ycs under 18, .
South Tyneside Council: On View Magazine
Promote seasonal activities at school, college and universities. / CAST YCS PROJECT: Link person identified within all schools/ College/ monthly drop- in held where young carers receive support/ generate ideas for seasonal activities/ receive advice.
Work with Pharmacists to ensure they ask young carers if they are involved in giving medicine to their parents or guardian and make sure they have the right information, for example when they pick up prescriptions. Monitor referrals from pharmacists. / CAST YCS PROJECT:Newsletter to be circulated to Pharmacists/awareness raising.
Work with GPs so they know when there is a young carer so they feel comfortable to ask questions and be involved. Monitor GP referrals / CAST YCS PROJECT: Newsletter circulated to GPS/ awareness raising
Make sure professionals ask Young Carers opinions and don’t underestimate their knowledge (Schools Nurses, Social Worker, YC Project, GPs, Hospital Doctors and Nurses) . / CAST YCS PROJECT: Awareness raising delivered to social care teams/ health Professionals, School Governors
CAST YCS PROJECT: Monitoring of referral rates from social care/ health professionals. Consultation/ feedback from young carers. Case Studies.
Make sure advocacy support is available and information on how to access it is clear, to help young carers get the information they need. They should be able to have people to talk to like Doctors, Family, Schools, Social Workers, and be able to go at their own pace. / CAST YCS PROJECT: Project staff available to provide one to one support
Project staff carry caseload of high need young carers
Confirm training programmes for Young Carers and make sure they are widely promoted via websites and newsletters / CAST YCS PROJECT: Young Carers currently involved in “Moving Forward” project, includes: undertaking training in First Aid, CV Writing.
Ground Works : Accredited qualification/ certificate in Team Building, Confidence Building, Welfare Rights and Volunteer work. John Muir Award: Exploration and discovery of nature/wildlife.
Duke of Edinburgh programme: Gym Induction and Membership.
Current DOF Skills section: Photography and workshop culminating in exhibition of ycs work.
Training available for young carers via Training in Care Ltd. Traineeships/ Apprenticeships available in conjunction with Training in Care/ Holder House Garden Project. Training promoted to young carers active within project available from Carers Trust/ Children’s Society. Young Carers currently involved with Children’s Society Initiative; Young Carers in focus (YCIF). Within this initiative 3 young carers identified as Champions/ training received in media and interviewing skills and how to be a voice for young carers. Attended training in …. And London( house of lords).
Active and Supportive Communities / Provide the chance to have fun as a family: Young Carers Projects, days out, seasonal events, weekend events, fun days, financial support, short breaks, mixed age groups, grants for family holidays, wheelchair access (Examples: Football matches, spa days, shopping, bowling) / CAST YCS PROJECT :After school support clubs / activities during all school holidays including residential breaks. Thurston weekend. Individual support plans provided by project staff. Carnival family days provided.
Ensure Young Carers meet other young people in similar situations and have space to talk, socialise, with the option to bring a friend. / Young carers integrated within project via “greeter member of staff /mentoring scheme” Young carers given choice regarding activity they wish to take part in.: Talent Match (youth coach south Tyneside TEN) Babble(Carers Trust) Jarrow Detached Youth Project/ Young Peoples Parliament.
Make sure all schools provide a Privilege Card for young carers, to take time out when needed / Privilege cards designed by project and provided for young carers via school link member of staff.
Develop a Young Carers Emergency Plan in Schools.
Ensure all teaching staff have Young Carer Awareness Training. / Provided within all schools via project staff.
Check how Get active cards are issued, and other leisure and library discount opportunities for Young Carers / Max cards issued annually by project staff
Consider whole family support and needs of the adult as a parent to support the young carer. The young carer may feel depressed or stressed, needs somewhere to fell ‘free’. Individual choices should be respected. / YC Project carry out detailed assessments.
Plans for support post 18 to ensure young carers are considering their future, and with a gradual end to the support provided. / Young Carer Adult support group provided by project. Current programmes include “moving forward”, Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, partnership work with cast adult carers department.
Improve building available for Young Carers Groups and events. Look at options with Leisure and Community Services and other Council buildings. / Young carers to be re-located to Temple Park Feb 2015.
Improve support for Young Carers and their families to develop care and support plans.
Work with Leisure and Library Services to use facilities to develop groups and activities
Increase links with Citizens Advice Bureau and Welfare Rights with all services supporting carers to provide a direct route to financial advice and signposting information and advice.
Work with Local Business Forums and larger organisations to encourage carer friendly employment policies
-Introduce Employment Toolkit and Carer Charter
-Ensure policies focus on Young Carer employability/training for 18-24s
Work with Job Centre Plus to promote employment opportunities as Personal Assistants
Work with schools and colleges to provide support to ensure young carers fulfil attainment potential
Ensure all schools have a Young Carer Lead identified / Communication by project staff and identified link member
Flexible Integrate Care and Support / Ensure there is good support for the person cared for so Young Carers aren’t relied on too much. Make sure help is available to reduce isolation, being able to have social time/not too tired for other things, information about giving medication and moving and handling. Being able to keep fit and healthy for school and life and know that the person we care for is safe so we don’t need to worry all the time. / Assessment currently undertaken uses a whole family approach with monitoring and review. Family support provided by project staff. Attendance records recorded to ensure early intervention if yc disengages with service.
Arrange assessments and reviews at times when Young Carers are available to give views and opinions, with plenty of notice and in their free time so it doesn’t affect education. Transport issues should be noted. Its frustrating people don’t want to hear all of the details and my knowledge. We want a say in our own lives. / Assessments currently carried out at appropriate times, Maca/ Panoc assessments completed by young carers project
Ensure there is one named person who makes all the arrangements, and is an ‘agent’ for the family, and one phone number for contact. Keep all my information in one place so I don’t have to repeat things. / Young Carers allocated caseload worker based on need. Project workers communicate with ycs at school as well as at support clubs/holiday activities.
Improved joint working with all partners to develop single care and support plans which meet all support needs for carers and those they cared for.
Make sure support at age 18 is reduced gradually and plans are made with young carers for their future well in advance. Without support I would feel alone and have no one to help me. I find it hard to think about things outside my caring role.
Make sure there is support for the whole family and think about the needs of the adult as a parent to support the young carer who may feel depressed and stressed. Need to have somewhere to feel ‘free’ and have individual choice considered. Need help with communication within the family, and individual time for all members, with someone to visit the cared for person so they are less isolated. If something happens to the parent things can go wrong for the whole family.
Revise Carers /Young Carers Service Specifications to include flexible responsive support for all age appropriate Carers
Complete Memorandum of Understanding for Young Carers, to ensure Children and Adults Services work closely to support transitions and have a single care and support plan
Workforce / Ensure care staff/professionals don’t talk down to or ignore young carers, that they are spoken to as though they are important, like ‘a person’, and like they’d like to be spoken to. Be honest and upfront and support me to express my views, someone who understands. Don’t make me feel invisible, left out, and as if I don’t matter, like I don’t need to be here. I want to have control.
Ensure staff have good listening skills and know how to signpost to the right support and services. Young carers need someone they can trust and an adult who will take problems into their hands and sort things out, build a relationship and recognise patterns. If people aren’t helpful I might feel: confused, worried, angry, frustrated, give up.
Provide basic information about who people are, their roles, and a card with contact details. Keep details in a contact book.
Work with South Tyneside Hospital to raise awareness and develop hospital discharge pathways which:
- identify Young Carers
- treat Young Carers as partners
- provides for assessment of their needs and the person they care for
Personal Budgets / Consider how to provide free travel and help with costs of activities, free travel for over 16s hospital appointments
Ensure money to support Young Carers isn’t included as part of the family budget.
Provide better information and support for families to manager money and support arrangements, and advice on managing money, banks, leaflets in schools etc. School link to teach about budgets.
Risk Enablement / Ensure back up plans and emergency contacts are in place to help feel more secure about leaving to go out, or to go to university. Be able to leave phones on in school for contact, and make sure teachers understand the reasons this is needed – teach training day about young carers.
Ensure first aid and wellbeing training is available for Young Carers, and that doctors explain what to do and what’s going on with the person cared for.
Ensure schools are aware of pressures on young carers which might affect their homework. Provide space for young carers to work with each other, and more time for homework to be completed.

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Version 1 – January 2015