Strengthening School Support for Young Carers: Carers Trust Crossroads West Wales' Approach

Carers Trust Crossroads West Wales is a specialist voluntary organisation providing support to unpaid carers, with offices in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. They have a strong team supporting young carers.

We have a team of dedicated Education Engagement Project Workers who are responsible for our outreach work by maintaining established relationships with each school’s Carer Lead, Wellbeing Team, and Senior Leadership Teams.

These contacts within schools are all highly supportive of the work we do within their settings allowing ease of access for future support of young carers.

The Carers Trust Crossroads West Wales team supports young carers at schools through individual sessions, guidance, and collaboration with staff. The team does the following:

• Foster a supportive school environment where young carers feel comfortable disclosing their caring roles
• Establish a system for reporting and addressing concerns, ensuring the privacy and dignity of the young carers involved
• Equip staff with tools to identify signs that a student may be a young carer
• Provide guidance on how to approach and support young carers, ensuring confidentiality and sensitivity
• Encourage the development of peer support networks among students
• Facilitate discussions where students can share their experiences and insights, fostering a sense of understanding and community
• Deliver young carer awareness sessions in line with the school curriculum and Estyn expectations
• Incorporate relevant topics into subjects such as health education or personal development.

Safe space within schools for young carers and other students who may want to identify themselves

Through maintaining a strong presence and actively engaged in supporting young carers within these institutions, our team of Education Engagement Project Workers have supported schools to identify 10% of those attending the awareness sessions, as young carers.

The value of young carer peer groups and peer support in schools

Young carers often experience feelings of loneliness and isolation. Through peer groups and support networks, they can connect with others their age who share similar experiences and challenges, helping them form friendships and feel less alone.

As well as our peer support groups we have established young carer lunch clubs in 5 of the 12 secondary schools across the county where we partner with the local authority team in creating a safe space within schools for young carers and other students who may want to identify themselves.

Young Carer ID Card

During our awareness sessions, we promote the use of ID cards, which are typically issued by the school's carer lead or completed by the young carer themselves.

We are assisting the schools in recognising that when the young carers card is presented in school there is a “no questions asked approach” in front of other students and are allowed space to express their concerns/worries.

We have seen an uptake of the young carer I.D from young carers across the county from our service and the local authority team. Young carers now need to see the benefits the card can bring for them in action for it to have the intended impact in the community.