Quilter: Supporting young carers to achieve their aspirations
Carers Trust launched its collaborative partnership with The Quilter Foundation in October 2018. Our partnership’s focus is helping young carers overcome the barriers they face as they transition into adulthood.
So far, we have supported 1,521 young carers thanks to support from Quilter employees and The Quilter Foundation:
- 208 received individual grants to address barriers to education, employment or training that they faced, such as driving lessons and training courses.
- 365 were supported through targeted wellbeing and resilience activities.
- 441 were supported in taking a break from their caring role, so they could develop their aspirations (Aspirations Fund).
- 320 young carers are expected to receive tailored 121 support and group activities to overcome the barriers they face as they transition into positive adulthood, focusing on reducing loneliness and increasing overall wellbeing. (Inspiring Change)
- 187 worked with Quilter volunteers to learn new skills and develop their confidence. They did this across a range of different activities, including:
- Employability skills workshops
- Confidence workshops
- Homework clubs
The programme has been a lifeline for young carers through the pandemic, helping them stay connected with their peers and to address barriers and challenges.
In 2020, we launched our first ever virtual programme of support for young carers. This included delivering online workshops and one to one coaching or support sessions.
The sessions have had an incredibly positive impact on young carers. For example:
- 97% of young people who attended a skills workshop stated that the content would help them in the future.
- 68% young carers taking part in Aspirations Fund activities reported feeling more confident about their future prospects.
Quilter Plc & The Quilter Foundation are already making great progress on our three calls to action for employers: increasing visibility of young carers, recognising their skills and offering opportunities for young carers to develop and build their aspirations.
And we are delighted to share a video message from Quilter plc CEO Paul Feeney to other employers on what they can do to support young carers.