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.

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Research

Support not Sympathy

The results of a Carers Trust Wales 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 thousands of young people across Wales who provide unpaid care at home for family members or friends.

Published: 2020

Toolkit

West Lothian Young Carers

Welcome to the new Digital Education Hub for all staff in Scotland working with young carers in schools. These resources are for West Lothian.

Published: 2020

Research

Working for Carers Evaluation Report: 2016–2019

Working for Carers is led by Carers Trust and delivered by its network of partners (local carer organisations) across London. Working for Carers is funded by the European Social Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund. The first phase of the project ran from October 2016 and September 2019 and was evaluated by Ecorys.

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

Identification Practice of Young Carers in England – Review, Tips and Tools

This resource is primarily aimed to be a guide for local government. The Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on local authorities to take ‘reasonable steps’ to identify young carers in their area who have support needs. This resource sets out these duties and shows how local government can work with education, health and social care partners to take the steps necessary to increase identification of young carers.

Published: 2019

Toolkit

Supporting Students with Caring Responsibilities in Further Education in Wales

A Wales-specific, user-friendly resource, this toolkit was developed in partnership with Learning and Work Institute to increase awareness of student carers and their specific needs, promote existing good practice from colleges and carers services and offering expert recommendations.

Published: 2018

Good Practice

Supporting Young Carers in Schools: A Step-by-step Guide for Leaders, Teachers and Non-teaching Staff Wales Edition

Designed with teachers and schools staff,  the Young Carers in Schools Step-by-step Guide for Leaders, Teachers and Non-teaching Staff, helps make the identification and support of young carers in schools in primary and secondary schools in Wales as easy as possible. The Guide and tools are available in English and Welsh.

Published: 2017

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

Toolkit

Engaging with Pharmacies

Pharmacies are visited by about 1.6 million people every day in England so they are ideally positioned to identify carers of all all ages including young carers. They can therefore play a key role in the early initiation of assessment and support which can be life changing. This toolkit is aimed at young carer services to support them to work collaboratively with pharmacies. It draws on the Young Carers Pharmacy Project that took place between 2014 and 2016. 

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