Resources

Carers Trust offers a wide range of resources and information for anyone who works with unpaid carers. To find a resource, please use the search options in the right hand column or search through the list below. If you have any queries about our resources, please contact web@carers.org.

If you would like to reproduce all or part of any of the resources on this website please read our copyright guidelines

Carers Trust Knowledge Hub

Carers Trust Network Partner local carer organisations can access our Knowledge Hub where you can find resources on best practice, innovation, and shared intelligence from other Network Partners.

Become a network partner
Filter resources
Toolkit

Breaking the Silence on Mental Health

This toolkit for young carer and young adult carer services shares learning from Carers Trust’s My Mental Health project. It has information, guidance and best practice on amplifying the voices of young carers and young adult carers and providing more opportunities for their input into mental health support.

Published: 2021

Research

My Future, My Feelings, My Family

The results of a Carers Trust survey into the impact of Coronavirus on young carers aged 12 to 17 and young adult carers aged 18 to 25 was published in July 2020. They point to a steep decline in the mental health and wellbeing of the hundreds of thousands of young people across the UK who provide unpaid care at home for family members or friends.

Published: 2020

Good Practice

Training resources to help with improving the identification and support of young carers

These resources are designed to support the training of a wide range of professionals and volunteers to identify and support young carers.

Published: 2020

Guidance

Young Carers in Schools Guidance for Schools COVID-19 Recovery and Staff Briefing

This Young Carers in Schools resource helps school staff understand the challenges that young carers are experiencing during the COVID-19 crisis and offers practical guidance on how to support young carers. It is a pack which also includes a Staff Briefing for schools and a Top Tips written by young carers.

Published: 2020

Research

Enabling Young Carers to Pursue their Goals in Life and Reach their Full Potential: Converting Research Findings into Policy Actions

Carers Trust is involved in a research project, 'Psychosocial support for promoting mental health and well-being among adolescent young carers in Europe'. It is also known as ‘ME-WE’. It's aim is to support the mental health, wellbeing and resilience of young carers. The project runs from January 2018–June 2021. This policy brief provides an overview of year one of the project.

Published: 2019

Good Practice

Legislation into Practice: Making the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Care Act 2014 a Reality for Young Carers

A resource for local authorities working with schools to identify and support young carers. It sets out how using the Young Carers in Schools programme supports local authorities to ensure they fulfil their statutory duties as set out in the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Care Act 2014.

Published: 2018

Toolkit

Supporting Young Carers in Schools: A Toolkit for Initial Teacher Education Providers

This toolkit provides essential tools, templates and guidance for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers who already include young carers as a key topic within their training programmes and ITE providers who are developing their training content regarding young carers.

Published: 2017

Research

Care Act for Carers One Year On

Carers Trust's report Care Act for carers: One Year On showed that there are some carers who are getting good support under the Care Act, as well as some examples of good practice.

Published: 2016

Research

Invisible and in Distress: Prioritising the Mental Health of England's Young Carers

There are an estimated 700,000 young carers in the UK; people who are under 18 who help look after someone in their family, or a friend, who are ill, disabled or misuse drugs or alcohol. The report highlights recommendations based on discussions with young carers, sector leaders and young carers services in the Carers Trust network.

Published: 2016

Research

Time to be Heard: A Call for Support for Young Adult Carers

Young adult carers are disadvantaged in their education, employment and wellbeing. These reports present evidence on the impact of caring unpaid for a family member or friend on the lives of young adult carers, using research carried out by the University of Nottingham. It represents the first large-scale survey of young adult carers aged 14-25. Reports cover England, Scotland and Wales.

Published: 2015