tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/young-carers-43338/articlesYoung carers – The Conversation2022-04-19T10:43:53Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1803732022-04-19T10:43:53Z2022-04-19T10:43:53ZStudents with caring responsibilities face significant challenges – but universities are hindering rather than helping them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/458158/original/file-20220414-14-u14lyb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=37%2C0%2C6193%2C3502&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/asian-woman-student-businesswoman-work-late-1458454520">BUNDITINAY/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Roughly 6% of the UK population <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-resources-survey-financial-year-2020-to-2021/family-resources-survey-financial-year-2020-to-2021">provide informal unpaid care</a>, and <a href="https://www.carersuk.org/images/Facts_about_Carers_2019.pdf">60% of people</a> in the UK will be carers at some point in their lives. This includes a number of people who are carers while <a href="https://carers.org/resources/all-resources/13-supporting-higher-education-students-with-caring-responsibilities">studying at university</a>.</p>
<p>Informal carers are those who have a commitment to providing unpaid support to someone who could not manage without their care. This could include preparing meals, personal care, giving medicine, helping with finances, and physical help.
The exact number of student carers in higher education <a href="https://www.wlv.ac.uk/research/the-doctoral-college/early-researcher-award-scheme-eras/eras-fellows-2016-17/dr-fiona-morgan/">is unknown</a>. Many <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22336476/">choose not to disclose</a> their caring responsibilities. Also, many universities do not have clear processes for <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0309877X.2018.1515427?journalCode=cjfh20">identifying student carers</a>. This is further complicated by the fact that caring status can change throughout a student’s studies.</p>
<p>In 2015, the <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2015-12-17/20664">UK government acknowledged</a> that carers “face challenges participating in higher education, and they may require additional support to do so effectively”. However, unless universities are aware of students with caring responsibilities, they cannot provide support.</p>
<p>We have carried out a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13603116.2021.1983880">review of research from around the world</a> on student carers’ experiences of university. Our review draws together findings on student carers and identifies the many challenges they face – as well as the limitations of the support universities offer.</p>
<h2>Clashing responsibilities</h2>
<p>Student carers reported several ways in which their caring responsibilities affected their experience of university study. Some said that caring affected <a href="https://www.wlv.ac.uk/research/the-doctoral-college/early-researcher-award-scheme-eras/eras-fellows-2016-17/dr-fiona-morgan/">their education</a>. This was partly due to time constraints, which sometimes meant they could not meet deadlines, complete work, or take part in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22336476/">face-to-face sessions</a>.</p>
<p>Time constraints also mean that some student carers miss out on wider opportunities at university, such as extracurricular activities and work experience. Other <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0309877X.2018.1515427">practical considerations</a> that affected carers’ study included the need to study near the person they were providing care for. Students built their study timetable around caring responsibilities and found it difficult to complete courses with placements.</p>
<p>We also found that caring responsibilities could negatively affect a student’s mental health. For example, research in Canada found that student carers have <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0145935X.2019.1614906?journalCode=wcys20">lower wellbeing</a> than those who do not have caring responsibilities. Student carers in the UK reported experiencing <a href="https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/resources/learning-with-care-2013">mental health issues</a> such as stress, anxiety and low mood.</p>
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<img alt="Young woman helps older woman cross the road" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/458159/original/file-20220414-22-yes4wi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/458159/original/file-20220414-22-yes4wi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458159/original/file-20220414-22-yes4wi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458159/original/file-20220414-22-yes4wi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458159/original/file-20220414-22-yes4wi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458159/original/file-20220414-22-yes4wi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458159/original/file-20220414-22-yes4wi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Caring responsibilities can affect students’ physical and mental health.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-helping-her-elderly-grandmother-784926844">Africa Studio/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Caring responsibilities also affect a student’s physical health, such as experiencing <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22336476/">increased fatigue</a>. Research in Thailand found that student carers are more likely to develop <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186%2F1471-2458-12-1111">lower back pain</a> than those with no caring responsibilities.</p>
<p>In addition, the relationship between caring and studying is not one-way. Being a student has a negative effect on their <a href="https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/resources/learning-with-care-2013">ability to provide care</a>.
The challenges experienced by student carers are not necessarily an inevitable result of their caring responsibilities. Instead, they can result from the inadequate support available to them.</p>
<h2>Financial struggles</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.nus.org.uk/">National Union of Students</a> <a href="https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/resources/learning-with-care-2013">reported</a> that two-thirds of student carers in the UK regularly worry about not being able to meet their living expenses.</p>
<p>Full-time students in higher education in the UK are not eligible to receive the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance">carer’s allowance</a> allocated to those who care for someone for over 35 hours a week. This is surprising, given that carers who begin university are unlikely to reduce the number of hours they spend caring. </p>
<p>Additionally, because of the time required to provide care, student carers are less likely to be in paid employment than students <a href="https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/resources/learning-with-care-2013">without caring responsibilities</a>.</p>
<p>Research suggests that financial difficulties might be partially explained by a lack of <a href="https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/resources/learning-with-care-2013">accessible and accurate information</a> detailing the support available. The availability of support is meaningless if student carers don’t know it exists. Universities need to provide clear information specifying both the financial and practical support available to both prospective and current student carers.</p>
<p>Given that each student carer’s situation is unique, and applying for support can be time-consuming and complex, universities need to offer personalised guidance.</p>
<h2>Flexible support</h2>
<p>Universities can have inflexible rules and policies that do not match up with the needs of student carers. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13603116.2019.1624843">These can include</a> compulsory full-time placement requirements on certain courses, sometimes away from home. Student carers are also hampered by bureaucratic, slow and impersonal administration processes to gain support, as well as inflexible timetables or study requirements. As a result, student carers reported <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22336476/">relying on friends and family</a>.</p>
<p>Universities should implement a flexible approach to student carer support. Such as being accommodating of reduced attendance due to care responsibilities, permitting timetable changes, and providing access to online learning materials and support.</p>
<p>University staff, such as lecturers, are important for identifying when student carers are struggling and for offering support. While some student carers report that they receive <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22336476/">academic and emotional support</a> from some university staff, all staff require training to understand the issues faced by student carers, and need <a href="https://www.wlv.ac.uk/research/the-doctoral-college/early-researcher-award-scheme-eras/eras-fellows-2016-17/dr-fiona-morgan/">access to information</a> and services that provide support.</p>
<p>Finally, none of this is possible without first identifying student carers. All universities need transparent procedures to ensure that student carers can disclose their carer status. In the UK, this could perhaps be modelled on the process for reporting disabilities, which are often reported <a href="https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/individual-needs/disabled-students/speaking-disability-support-team-or-mental-health-adviser">via a disability adviser</a>.</p>
<p>Student carers provide a vital source of support but are not always being supported themselves to provide care and complete their university education. It is time universities did more for them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180373/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica Runacres works for Staffordshire University. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span><a href="mailto:daniel.herron1@staffs.ac.uk">daniel.herron1@staffs.ac.uk</a> works for Staffordshire University</span></em></p>Students often built their timetables around their caring responsibilities.Jessica Runacres, Senior Lecturer in Research Practice, Staffordshire UniversityDaniel Herron, Lecturer in Psychology, Staffordshire UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1616202021-05-28T14:17:17Z2021-05-28T14:17:17ZCOVID-19: how the pandemic increased food poverty in the UK<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403374/original/file-20210528-24-129ckew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=31%2C1%2C965%2C558&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Homeless people often have difficulty finding enough to eat in normal times; the pandemic made things even harder.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/stirling-scotland-uk-february-27-2021-1929934409">Vineeth Jose Vincent/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Around <a href="https://www.sustainweb.org/news/voicesofthehungry/#:%7E:text=New%20data%20from%20the%20UN,to%20get%20enough%20to%20eat.&text=Based%20on%20these%20estimates%2C%20the,par%20with%20Hungary%20and%20Latvia.">8.4 million Britons</a> struggle to get enough to eat, according to the latest figures from the UN, which puts the UK on a par with countries like Latvia and Hungary. This state of affairs is called <a href="http://bath.foodbank.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/108/2020/02/State-of-Hunger-Report-November2019-Digital-min.pdf">food insecurity</a> and it has been on the increase since the <a href="https://spark.adobe.com/page/DAlRb7HdWiHqA/">2008 financial crisis</a> and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/03/lost-decade-hidden-story-how-austerity-broke-britain">decade of austerity</a> that followed. But in the last year, COVID-19 has made things worse. Because of the pandemic, more people than ever simply do not have enough to eat. </p>
<p><a href="https://foodfoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Report_COVID19FoodInsecurity-final.pdf">Early figures</a> suggest a quadrupling of food insecurity in 2020 compared to 2018. This varies from worrying about being able to get enough to eat, to having difficulties getting access to food, to actually going hungry.</p>
<p>In “normal” times, this kind of food insecurity is a risk faced by the most vulnerable in society. This includes those on low incomes or living in poverty and people who lack support networks. Women are <a href="http://uwsoxfampartnership.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Food-Insecurity-Literature-Review-Final.pdf">specifically at risk</a> of food insecurity because they head the bulk of <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/families/bulletins/familiesandhouseholds/2016">single parent households</a> (86%), which make up the <a href="https://trusselltrust.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/OU_Report_final_01_08_online.pdf">largest number</a> of Trussell Trust food bank users in the UK. </p>
<p>In our <a href="http://uwsoxfampartnership.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Food-insecurity-in-times-of-Covid-19-2021-WEB-FINAL.pdf">recent research</a>, conducted for the <a href="http://uwsoxfampartnership.org.uk">UWS-Oxfam Partnership</a>, we explored how the pandemic escalated the scale of food insecurity in the UK. We did so with a focus on four groups across Scotland: the homeless, young carers, asylum seekers and people with disabilities. These groups are more at risk of not having enough to eat, even in normal times. We also looked at the emerging data and research on COVID-19 and the impact the pandemic has had on food insecurity across the UK. </p>
<h2>Food insecurity</h2>
<p>Through our own and <a href="https://www.food.gov.uk/print/pdf/node/4406">existing research</a>, we established three main factors that have intensified food poverty during the crisis:</p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> Rising need driven mainly by loss of or reduction in income.</p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> New and growing challenges in getting access to food.</p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> The impact of lockdown on the operation of food banks.</p>
<p>We interviewed people from organisations supporting the disabled, homeless, young carers and asylum seekers about how the pandemic affected household finances. For many young carers, lockdown led to immediate loss of employment. Because they are often in low-paid and casual employment, the furlough scheme did not support them. At the same time, the cost of living increased. Travel restrictions made it impossible to travel to shops with cheaper food, so money did not go as far as before when shopping locally. </p>
<p>Disabled people – in particular those told to shield – became more reliant on online shopping. With delivery slots hard to come by and disabled people less likely to have internet access, doorstep services also came with additional costs.</p>
<p>Glasgow has the <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01403">largest number</a> of dispersed asylum seekers (3,756) per head of population in the UK and most were relocated into hotels with full-board accommodation at the start of the pandemic. This meant they lost their limited cash entitlement, were dependent on hotel meals and unable to buy the food they needed for health or cultural reasons.</p>
<h2>Lockdown challenges</h2>
<p>COVID-19 exposed the vulnerability of the UK’s food system to the sharp shock of pandemic conditions. <a href="http://doi.org/10.35241/emeraldopenres.13539.2">Research</a> in 2020 noted that the UK food system was dominated by <a href="https://www.thebalancesmb.com/just-in-time-jit-2221262#:%7E:text=A%20just%2Din%2Dtime%20supply%20chain%20is%20one%20that%20moves,synchronized%20with%20the%20subsequent%20operations.">“just-in-time” supply chains</a>, which were severely challenged by stockpiling and panic buying in the first weeks of the pandemic.</p>
<p>Lockdown also demonstrated how vulnerable the UK’s emergency food aid system is and the devastating consequences of food bank closures. In other words, the pandemic showed how quickly food access problems can emerge. The rules around shielding and self-isolation only compounded the situation.</p>
<p>Local authorities delivered food boxes to vulnerable people’s homes, but there was mixed success in terms of quality, quantity and reliability. We discovered that many homeless and disabled people did not hold official “shielder” status despite serious health conditions, which meant they were excluded from food box schemes.</p>
<p>All these issues show how access and income challenges overlap to have a serious impact on availability of food to those who need it most. While rising food insecurity meant a rise in demand for food aid, food banks were forced either to close or reorganise to comply with social distancing and lockdown rules. COVID-19 and its shielding requirements meant that many older volunteers could no longer help out at food banks and so were lost just when they were really needed.</p>
<p>The many food aid services which continued working during lockdown drastically changed how they operated. They became large-scale food delivery services instead of drop-in places. This was a huge problem for many of their users. For example, we heard how food banks are important for the homeless and young carers because they offer an escape from isolation. They are also places to find benefit advice and mental health support. All of this disappeared with the lockdown. </p>
<h2>Preparation and resilience</h2>
<p>Despite the best efforts of food banks, the crisis showed that the emergency food aid sector was ill-equipped to deal with the surge in food insecurity created by COVID-19.</p>
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<p>The best approach to dealing with food insecurity, both in normal times and in times of crisis, is to make sure that people have enough money to buy the food they need. Financial resilience is key. Better preparations for supplying those who cannot access food despite having the financial means are also required.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.bigissue.com/latest/what-is-the-right-to-food/">Right to Food movement</a>, which advocates to enshrine in law people’s right to proper food is gaining momentum. Perhaps the crisis will prompt policy change – certainly, some <a href="https://natcen.ac.uk/news-media/press-releases/2020/october/british-social-attitudes-survey-reveals-softening-of-attitudes-towards-welfare-and-immigration">public attitudes</a> research suggests that the British public is open to a stronger <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/may/27/uk-public-think-covid-boost-to-universal-credit-should-be-permanent">social security system</a>. </p>
<p>Devolved administrations have also used their powers to make more funding available to support unpaid carers and increase crisis grant budgets. These governments can also make the changes needed to help homeless people. Asylum seekers should also be included in the advocacy happening across the UK, to anchor the “right to food” in law. Perhaps then food insecurity will become a thing of the past.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161620/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The most vulnerable in society have been hit hard by the pandemic when it comes to getting enough to eat. So what can be done?Hartwig Pautz, Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences, University of the West of ScotlandDamian Dempsey, PhD Student in Housing & Economic Development Policy, University of the West of ScotlandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1179002019-08-08T20:06:06Z2019-08-08T20:06:06ZOne in 10 Aussie kids care for someone with a disability or drug dependence – they need help at school<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/287288/original/file-20190808-144873-9kytxy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Thousands of children and young people provide substantial unpaid care to a family member with a disability, chronic or mental illness, dependence on alcohol or other drugs, or frailty due to old age. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/NcWNzEAD7Fs">Jesús Rodríguez/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Children who care for a family member with a disability, mental illness or dependence on alcohol or other drugs are less likely to complete, or do well in, secondary school compared with young people without caring responsibilities.</p>
<p>Our study, published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12187-019-09647-1">Child Indicators Research</a>, compared the levels of school engagement among children who identified as carers with children who didn’t shoulder such responsibilities. </p>
<p>We measured levels of school engagement by asking how often children felt positive emotions, such as being happy and safe, towards school.</p>
<p>In a national school-based survey of 5,220 Australian children aged 8-14, more than 450 respondents (9% of the sample) indicated they were looking after a family member with a disability or another serious health issue. </p>
<p>More than half of these young carers had responsibilities for a family member with a mental illness or dependence on alcohol or other drugs. </p>
<p>Overall, we found children who cared for a person with a mental illness or one using alcohol or other drugs had significantly lower engagement at school than children without caring responsibilities. </p>
<p>Studies show children who are more engaged at school are <a href="https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/91225/j.1467-8624.2012.01745.x.pdf?%5Blink%20text%5D(https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0%7E2016%7EMain%20Features%7EYoung%20Carers%7E143)%20sequence=1&isAllowed=y">more likely to stay in school</a> longer, with better outcomes for employment and earnings. </p>
<p>The challenges facing young carers will continue without improved support in schools and broader policy and community services, as well as personalised intervention programs.</p>
<h2>Who are young carers?</h2>
<p>Young carers are children and young people who provide substantial unpaid care to a family member with a disability, chronic or mental illness, dependence on alcohol or other drugs, or frailty due to old age. </p>
<p>The people <a href="https://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/media/SPRCFile/1_Young_Carers_Report_Final_2011.pdf">they care for include</a> parents, siblings, grandparents, extended family or friends. Most young people take care of a parent or sibling. </p>
<p>About <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/disability-and-carers/publications-articles/young-carers-research-project-final-report?HTML">5-10%</a> of <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0%7E2016%7EMain%20Features%7EYoung%20Carers%7E143">Australian young people</a> aged under 26 (that’s between about 150,000 and 300,000) are carers. There is <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/publications/young-carers">some suggestion</a> the figure could be even higher.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-how-much-it-would-cost-the-government-to-pay-everyone-who-takes-care-of-family-with-mental-illness-74760">Here's how much it would cost the government to pay everyone who takes care of family with mental illness</a>
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<p>They help their family members with a range of activities beyond those typical of a person that age. </p>
<p>This includes helping with personal care such as showering and going to the toilet, administering medication, liaising with doctors and services, overseeing household administration and finances or providing emotional support.</p>
<p>Previous research has shown young carers’ responsibilities negatively affect their educational outcomes. For instance, young carers are more than one <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/publications/young-carers">year behind</a> their peers in literacy and numeracy. </p>
<p>They are also <a href="https://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/media/SPRCFile/1_Young_Carers_Report_Final_2011.pdf">less likely</a> to complete secondary school and <a href="http://australianchildwellbeing.com.au/sites/default/files/uploads/ACWP_Final_Report_2016_Full.pdf">aspire to university</a> after leaving school.</p>
<h2>Why are young carers less engaged in school?</h2>
<p>We compared the levels of young carers’ school engagement with those of their peers without care responsibilities. </p>
<p>We measured emotional engagement in school by asking young people whether they felt happy and safe at school, and whether they enjoyed going to school and learning. We also measured their behavioural engagement by asking about how often they did homework. </p>
<p>Young carers of a person with a mental illness or drug or alcohol dependence were significantly less likely than young people who were not carers to report feeling happy and safe at school and enjoying school. They were also significantly less likely to do homework daily compared with students who weren’t carers.</p>
<p>Our results showed little difference in the school engagement of young people who took care of a person with a physical or intellectual disability compared with young people who were not carers. But <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13676261.2012.710743?needAccess=true">previous research</a> suggests this group of young carers also faces considerable challenges at school.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/287318/original/file-20190808-144843-1l3qj2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/287318/original/file-20190808-144843-1l3qj2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/287318/original/file-20190808-144843-1l3qj2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287318/original/file-20190808-144843-1l3qj2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287318/original/file-20190808-144843-1l3qj2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287318/original/file-20190808-144843-1l3qj2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287318/original/file-20190808-144843-1l3qj2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287318/original/file-20190808-144843-1l3qj2w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Many young people who care for a family member with mental illness or drug addiction keep it a secret.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
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<p>Past research shows the responsibilities of a young person caring for someone with a mental illness or alcohol or drug dependence are <a href="https://professionals.carers.org/sites/default/files/media/mycare-report-final-5492.pdf">often unpredictable</a>. They manage crises, as well as monitoring the person’s well-being and medication use, which may heighten young carers’ levels of worry while at school. </p>
<p>Research also suggests many young carers of a person with a mental illness or drug or alcohol dependence keep their <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2007.00477.x">caring responsibilities a secret</a> from their peers and school professionals. This is often to protect themselves and their families from bullying and for fear of intervention by child protection services. </p>
<p>The strain of concealment is likely to affect the carers’ own mental health and create a barrier to them <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/7/1/e013946.full.pdf">seeking support</a>. This may, in turn, affect the quality of their school experience.</p>
<p>We also found poor engagement in school of young carers of a person with a mental illness or using alcohol or other drugs was amplified by other indicators of marginalisation. These included whether the young carer themselves had a disability, was from a lower socioeconomic background or identified as Indigenous. </p>
<p>This suggests even stronger barriers to school engagement among young carers who experience multiple forms of marginalisation.</p>
<h2>How can we help young carers?</h2>
<p>Carer organisations and governments provide resources to schools, such as <a href="https://www.youngcarersnsw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/YC-School-Booklet-Primary.pdf">teacher toolkits</a>, that raise awareness about young carers’ needs among staff and students and support their continued education. </p>
<p>The federal government has also announced <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/04_2019/pbs-fact-sheet-carer-support-serviceslfexzjs.pdf">new packages</a> – available from later in 2019 – to support carers with education and employment. But only about 5,000 packages will be provided and only a small share of these will be earmarked for young carers. </p>
<p>Likewise, a <a href="https://www.paulfletcher.com.au/media-releases/joint-media-release-morrison-government-supporting-australias-young-carers">Young Carer Bursary</a> of A$3,000 was introduced in 2014 to support young carers to attend school – but only 1,000 of these are available in 2019.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/looking-after-loved-ones-with-mental-illness-puts-carers-at-risk-themselves-they-need-more-support-116349">Looking after loved ones with mental illness puts carers at risk themselves. They need more support</a>
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<p>While current policies may be making a positive difference for some carers, the results in this study show there are more young carers than support services available for them. </p>
<p>More needs to be done for the large number of young carers who are not as engaged in school as their peers. This includes high-quality, affordable and accessible services for their family members requiring care. </p>
<p>A personalised approach that includes the entire family and greater awareness and understanding among teachers and students of mental illness and drug or alcohol use could help make the school environment more welcoming for young carers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/117900/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Myra Hamilton receives funding from the Australian Research Council and periodically from state and federal government departments in portfolios that provide services for carers. She is an academic member of the Carers NSW Carer Respite Alliance. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gerry Redmond receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>A study has found children between the ages of 8 and 14 who take care of a family member with a drug addiction or mental illness aren’t very happy at, and don’t feel all that safe, at school.Myra Hamilton, Senior Research Fellow in Social Policy, UNSW SydneyGerry Redmond, Professor, College of Business, Government & Law, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1085562018-12-21T13:23:14Z2018-12-21T13:23:14ZChristmas can be isolating for young carers – they need time to be children<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/249737/original/file-20181210-76956-19onzwj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C10%2C1000%2C639&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">DGLimages/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Most children look forward to the Christmas holidays as a time for fun and families. But for some young carers – children who provide care for someone in their family who is ill or disabled – the Christmas holidays are a mixed blessing.</p>
<p>Dani* is one such young carer who I worked with as part of recent <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/582575/Lives_of_young_carers_in_England_Omnibus_research_report.pdf">research</a>. She is 14 and cares for her mum who has Multiple Sclerosis and depression. Dani does most of the cooking and cleaning in the house as well as shopping and managing the family finances.</p>
<p>She also spends time with her mum trying to keep her spirits up and making sure she takes her medication. This means Dani has little, if any, time for socialising. Her mother’s condition also means Dani is sometimes too worried about leaving her mum at home alone to go out with friends, even though her mum would like her to. </p>
<p>Christmas is going to be both good and bad for Dani and her mum. It means Dani spends time with her mum at home and doesn’t have to worry about her as much because they are together. But it also means she has to do a lot more around the house when her mum is too ill to do it, such as cooking, wrapping presents and making sure Christmas is a happy time for them both. </p>
<h2>Unrecognised support</h2>
<p>For children like Dani, the Christmas holidays can be an emotional time and bring extra challenges. It’s particularly hard if they are having to provide care unrecognised and unsupported, when other family members or friends are not able or available to help, or support services are missing.</p>
<p>This can make caring a lonely and isolating experience for some children. Many of them also have to provide the sort of care we would normally associate with an adult – toileting and bathing a loved one, administering medication, cooking and cleaning, as well as having to look after younger siblings.</p>
<p>Some children also help care for a parent, or other relative, who has mental health problems, or substance misuse issues, or both mental and physical health conditions. A <a href="https://www.jkp.com/uk/can-i-tell-you-about-being-a-young-carer-2.html/">new children’s book</a> I wrote aims to explain what it’s like being a young carer.</p>
<p>Estimates of the number of children across the UK who provide informal care in families range from <a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census-%20analysis/provision-of-unpaid-care-in-england-and-wales--2011/sty-unpaid-care.html">166,000</a> to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11757907">700,000</a>. The discrepancy in the figures is because definitions used by researchers to describe young carers lack consistency and different methods are used to identify and investigate their experiences. </p>
<p>But it’s also because some children are <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/498115/DFE-RR499_The_lives_of_young_carers_in_England.pdf">wary of disclosing</a> the fact that they are caring for a family member for fear of interventions by health or social services that may lead to family separations. This means that some children are caring unrecognised, unsupported and often with very little knowledge or understanding about the condition, and prognosis, of the person they are caring for. </p>
<h2>Getting help early</h2>
<p>For some young carers, the amount of care they provide at home can <a href="https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/tcs/report_hidden-from-view_young-carers_final.pdf">seriously affect their education</a>, their social and family lives, and their chances of a happy future that is free from caring. For others, caring can be a <a href="http://www.ycrg.org.uk/youngCarersDownload/Young_Carers_and_Parental_Mental_Illness.pdf">rewarding experience</a>, but this is more likely to be the case when they and their families are supported by consistent and good quality health and social care services.</p>
<p>Ten years of austerity <a href="https://www.bma.org.uk/collective-voice/policy-and-research/public-and-population-health/child-health/cutting-away-at-our-childrens-future">have eroded</a> both the availability and quality of those services. In these cases, it’s children and families that suffer the most. A <a href="https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/tcs/cuts_to_support_young_carers_4__3_.pdf">briefing</a> from the Children’s Society charity suggests that the introduction of Universal Credit and the abolition of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/31/universal-credit-pushing-disabled-people-into-poverty">severe disability premium</a> will put more pressure on children to take on extra caring responsibilities at home.</p>
<p>Evidence shows that children who provide care unrecognised and unsupported are <a href="http://www.ycrg.org.uk/youngCarersDownload/MCF_Full_Report_2.pdf">more likely to experience</a> low self-esteem, as well as poor education outcomes and difficult transitions in adulthood. Early interventions are needed that identify young caring before it becomes just a regular part of child’s everyday life. </p>
<p>Providing support to the <a href="https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/whole-family-pathway-2018.pdf">whole family</a> is key to ensuring children do not provide inappropriate levels of care that have a detrimental impact on their lives and the life of the person they’re caring for. Thanks to the 2014 Care Act, young carers now have a right to an assessment of their needs alongside the person they are caring for. Yet, a study by the Children’s Commission in 2016 found that <a href="https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/2016/12/27/an-estimated-four-out-of-five-young-carers-receive-no-support/">four out of five young carers</a> still receive no support. </p>
<p>Young carers like Dani need recognition and support, and they need this both for themselves and for the person they care for. They also need opportunities just to be children, to have fun and enjoy being with their families. At no time is this more true than at Christmas.</p>
<p><em>* Names have been changed to protect anonymity.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108556/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jo Aldridge receives funding from the Department for Education; the Economic and Social Research Council</span></em></p>Thousands of young carers are supporting family members unrecognised and wary of asking for help.Jo Aldridge, Professor of Social Policy and Criminology, Loughborough UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/839472017-09-15T13:11:55Z2017-09-15T13:11:55ZNo future: young carers are sacrificing ambitions to look after loved ones<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/186201/original/file-20170915-29578-1n67c1x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">shutterstock</span> </figcaption></figure><p>There are around <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11757907">700,000 young carers</a> across the UK looking after a parent or a family member. In Glasgow, these young people make up around 12% of children aged 11-18, and now a <a href="http://www.gcph.co.uk/assets/0000/6144/Young_carers_school_survey_report.pdf">new study</a> has found that their duties and responsibilities are preventing around half of them from going on to university or college after school.</p>
<p>According to a 2014 NHS <a href="http://www.gcph.co.uk/publications/721_young_carers_in_glasgow_health_wellbeing_and_future_expectations">survey</a> of 11,000 pupils across the city, one in eight secondary school-age pupils in Glasgow is providing care for someone at home. Not only do these pupils care for someone with a disability, long-term illness, mental health or substance issue, they also have poorer outcomes for their own health and future expectations.</p>
<p>Our new study for the <a href="http://www.gcph.co.uk/">Glasgow Centre for Population Health</a> (GCPH) found that when asked what they thought they would do once they had left school, young carers were almost 50% less likely to say that they thought they would go on to university or college when compared with pupils who had no caring duties.</p>
<p>The type of care given by young carers can vary considerably, from doing household chores to physical assistance, such as moving or lifting, to more intimate care, such as washing, dressing and help with going to the toilet, and providing emotional support.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/186202/original/file-20170915-8121-nowgg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/186202/original/file-20170915-8121-nowgg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186202/original/file-20170915-8121-nowgg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186202/original/file-20170915-8121-nowgg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186202/original/file-20170915-8121-nowgg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186202/original/file-20170915-8121-nowgg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186202/original/file-20170915-8121-nowgg1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Around 12% of 11 to 18-year-olds in Glasgow are caring for a family member.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/disability-disabled-child-wheelchair-being-looked-678871807">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Low expectations</h2>
<p>That carers – and young carers generally – are more likely to be found in deprived areas and in low-income families shows how caring has become associated with, and compounded by, other forms of disadvantage. <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00514848.pdf">Data</a> from the 2011 Census shows the prevalence of caring in Scotland to be higher in West Central Scotland, the area with the largest concentration of deprivation. Glasgow also has higher than average levels of <a href="http://www.understandingglasgow.com/indicators/health/trends/disability_trends_scottish_cities/overview">long-term sick or disabled adults</a>, problem <a href="https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Drugs-and-Alcohol-Misuse/Publications/2014-10-28/2014-10-28-Drug-Prevalence-Report.pdf">drug use</a>, and <a href="http://www.gcph.co.uk/publications/492_findings_series_42-alcohol-related_harm_in_glasgow">alcohol-related deaths</a>. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.lboro.ac.uk/microsites/socialsciences/ycrg/youngCarersDownload/YCReport2004%5B1%5D.pdf">Previous research</a> has found that young people in lone-parent families are also more likely to become young carers, and with <a href="http://www.gcph.co.uk/publications/535_bp_46_barriers_and_opportunities_facing_lone_parents_moving_into_paid_work">40%</a> of households with dependent children in Glasgow headed by a single parent, it is perhaps unsurprising that the numbers are so high. </p>
<p>As well as facing economic disadvantage, our study also found that carers had poorer physical and mental health. The association with mental health and emotional and behavioural difficulties was especially strong for the quarter of young carers looking after someone with a mental health problem, and the 10% caring for someone with a drug or alcohol problem. </p>
<h2>The hidden carers</h2>
<p>The attainment gap between richer and poorer students has long been recognised, and strategies such as the <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/Raisingeducationalattainment">Scottish Attainment Challenge</a> from the Scottish government aim to make a difference by channelling more money into schools.</p>
<p>But low attainment isn’t just about poverty – it’s also about young people not having the confidence, opportunities or the freedom to choose and shape their future. Young carers can be bound geographically, physically and in terms of their time, all of which have an impact on what they think they can do when they leave school.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ycrg.org.uk/youngCarersDownload/Children%20who%20care.pdf">Previous research</a> has found that not only do young carers tend to have poorer educational achievements, but employment and education decisions are made within the context and constraints of their caring role, often limiting their options and stunting their ambitions.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/186203/original/file-20170915-8065-v2pivl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/186203/original/file-20170915-8065-v2pivl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186203/original/file-20170915-8065-v2pivl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186203/original/file-20170915-8065-v2pivl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186203/original/file-20170915-8065-v2pivl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186203/original/file-20170915-8065-v2pivl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/186203/original/file-20170915-8065-v2pivl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=564&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">For many young carers, responsibilities at home mean they can’t see themselves going on to further education.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/boy-doing-dishes-11557471">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These young carers are not just experiencing multiple disadvantages, a third of them are also, our study found, struggling along without anyone outside the family knowing about their caring role. This may go some way to explaining the higher prevalence found in our study – 12% – which was higher than <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00514848.pdf">previous estimates</a>. </p>
<p>The discrepancy between the high prevalence found in our report and the <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00514848.pdf">lower official figures</a> could be down to many reasons. Some of those defined as young carers don’t actually realise that they are providing care, and many do not know that there is support available. Others may choose to conceal their carer status due to fears around the stigma of caring, and others may be afraid of outside intervention if anyone discovers their role at home. </p>
<p>The type of care that they are providing can also have an impact on the number of hidden carers. Those with family members with more stigmatised conditions such as mental health or substance issues may fear the consequences if their status is revealed. </p>
<h2>Rights of the child?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/">United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child</a> (UNCRC) outlines some general rights for children, such as every child has the right to a happy life and develop to the maximum extent possible, as well as recognising that they need guidance and space to be young people and to learn, play and enjoy positive futures. Our findings suggest that being a young carer can impact negatively on these rights.</p>
<p>The introduction of the <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Topics/archive/CarersBill">Carers (Scotland) Act</a> (2016) means that by April 2018, local authorities and health boards will have a duty to provide Young Carer “statements”, which will identify support needs and personal goals and development. This will be an important opportunity to ensure that all young carers are supported enough to have the chance to realise their full potential.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/83947/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Oonagh Robison has previously received PhD studentship funding from the Medical Research Council and Chief Scientist Office. </span></em></p>Children looking after a family member are making decisions about their future in the context of their role, often limiting their options and stunting their ambitionsOonagh Robison, Public Health Research Specialist, Glasgow Centre for Population Health, University of GlasgowLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.