Many children and young people are having to face new challenges because of Covid-19. Some will find themselves taking on new caring roles as parents, carers or siblings become ill with Covid-19. Those who are already young carers will have to deal with the added pressures that lockdown, school closure and recovery creates. Without school, young carers lose an important layer of support.

Balancing learning at home and caring responsibilities may be particularly difficult for young carers therefore online learning support and a trusted adult to talk to is vital. Virtual classes also provide opportunities for young carers to take a break from caring and to see friends.

Here are some ideas of how young carers can be supported:

• Encourage young carers to identify themselves to schools by sharing this (YouTube) video of a young adult carer and a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament with your pupils.
• Celebrate young carers and the valuable work that they do.
  
  • BBC: Scottish Young Carers Festival 2019
• Raise awareness of young carers among school practitioners.
  • BBC: Things Teachers Should Know About Young Carers
  • YouTube: Perth and Kinross Young Carers Awareness Podcast 2020
  • PDF: Professional Learning Pack: Working Together to support Young Carers in Perth and Kinross
  • Education Scotland: PDF: Supporting Young carers in education
  • PDF: Young Carers Awareness Training – Service provided by Carers Trust Scotland for practitioners, student teachers, and probationers
• Examples of creative ways of supporting young carers.
  • PDF: PKAVS: Education Attainment Service
  • PDF: West Dunbartonshire – Y Sort It
  • PDF: Renfrewshire’s Young Carers Packs
  • PDF: Stirling’s Young Carers Service
  • PDF: Perth and Kinross – Additional support for Young Carers
  • PDF: Young Scot Young Carers Newsletter: Additional COVID 19 support
• Stay connected
• PDF: Ideas for:
  • • providing holistic family support and engaging parents
    • engaging and supporting young carers
  • PDF: Signposting to Family Support Helplines
• Pupil voice (encourage young carer’s to have their say).
  • Exemplar: PDF: Perth and Kinross – Young Carers Voice
  • Children’s Parliament Survey Read the report summary.
  • PDF: Carers Trust Scotland Survey Read the report here.
  • Support planning for the ‘new normal’.
    • Exemplar: PDF: COVID 19 Personalised Emergency Information Sheet
    • Exemplar: PDF: Perth and Kinross – Young Carer’s ID Card
    • Education Scotland: Transitions in 2020
    • Carer’s Trust Scotland Digital Education Hub: Links to local supports services
    • Shared Care Scotland: Local Information for Carers.

Improvement questions

• How do I identify the needs of young carers in the current circumstances?
• How am I helping young carers to continue to engage in learning?
• What support and information can I signpost young carers, their families and professionals to?
• How might the support and provision for the young carer need to be adapted or done differently during Covid-19?
• How can partnership working be utilised further to better support young carers’ wellbeing and to achieve and sustain positive educational outcomes?
• How can I raise awareness of the needs of young carers during this time and ensure that their needs and voices are heard in recovery planning?