Archived decisions
Item 11
HAMPSHIRE STRATEGY FOR YOUNG CARERS
2005 -2008
CONSULTATION DOCUMENT
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Better outcomes for Young Carers in Hampshire
Joint Strategy 2005
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 This strategy is for those agencies in Hampshire involved with young carers and their families. It sets out the shared vision and action plan for the next three years. The strategy focuses on those children and young people who provide a substantial amount of care to a member of their family or to a friend.
1.2 The strategy will meet the following corporate aims of Hampshire County Council:
Aim 1 - Maximising Life Opportunities: creating opportunities for the whole community and reducing the impact of discrimination, through the provision of high quality accessible learning and caring services.
Aim 4 - Building strong and safe communities - working together with local people to help make people feel informed, empowered and eliminate discrimination. Working in partnership with others to make people feel safe in their own communities and to promote health and well being.
Aim 5 - Improving Services - ensuring our services are inclusive and continuously improving to meet the changing needs of the community.
Aim 6 - Developing Councillors and staff - ensuring that councillors and staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge and resources to respond efficiently to the needs of all the people of Hampshire regardless of background.
2. DEFINITION OF A YOUNG CARER
2.1 A young carer is a young person under the age of 18 years, whose life is affected by looking after someone with a disability or long-term illness.
2.2 The person cared for may be a parent, a sibling or another family member, but does not necessarily live in the same house as them. The care given may be practical, physical and/or emotional.
2.3 The terms "disability" and "long-term illness" do not mean solely a physical disability or illness, but also cover, for example, mental illness, learning disability, or substance misuse, and general frailty.
3. THE CHILDREN ACT 2004
3.1 In the spirit of the new Children Act agencies need to be working in partnership towards preventing children and young people having to take on a caring role to an unreasonable or unwanted degree, and to ensure their protection where necessary. We need to ensure that all children are supported to
¬ Be healthy
¬ Stay safe
¬ Enjoy and achieve
¬ Make a positive contribution
¬ Enjoy economic well being
These are the key outcomes described in `Every Child Matters' and The Children Act.
4. LEGISLATION AND GOVERNMENT POLICY UNDERPINNING SERVICES FOR YOUNG CARERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
· Children Act 2004 - Young Carers are an "at risk" group and need support
· Children Act 1989 - identifies "children in need" - some young carers are eligible for social services within this criteria
· National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services - 2004
· School Transport Bill - transport is often a significant issue for young carers. The Bill does not address their issues. If a child has a disability they will receive transport to school but if a child has a disabled parent they often have problems getting to school. Parents sometimes spend money that should be spent on food/clothes on taxis to take a child to school because they are unable to.
· Social Inclusion: Pupil Support - Department for Education & Skills Circular 10/99 - provides guidance about exclusion including the responsibilities of governors, head teachers, parents' rights of appeal. It also includes guidance on early intervention and promoting positive behaviour; and on the reintegration of excluded pupils.
· Social Inclusion: Pupil Support - circular 11/99 - This circular covers LEA specific issues on attendance, education out of school and re-integration of excluded pupils
· Carers Act 1995
· Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 - assessments of need must be given when requested by people of 16+ who are in a caring role..
· Carers Equal Opportunities Act (July 2004) enhances the Carers Act 1995 All carers from age 16 have the right to assessment and this should take into account the effect their caring role has on access to education, employment and leisure.
· Fair Access to Care Services - Policy guidance published May 2002
· Jigsaw of Services - March 2000 report from the SSI to support disabled adults in their parenting role
· UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
· Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 - Impact Assessment
· Disability Discrimination Act 1995
· Human Rights Act 1998
5. CURRENT POSITION
5.1 In line with the Children Act 2004 all agencies are committed to supporting and improving the life chances of all young people including those in a caring role. The strategy will reflect responses to recent legislation, and national policy and government standards as identified in the National Service Framework.
5.2 There are currently seven projects in the county which provide support
in a range of ways and settings specifically for young carers. Support and counselling is offered to young people through extremely challenging circumstances such as
· Impending bereavement of a parent or sibling
· Parents misusing substances
· Mental illness
· Alzheimer's or serious debilitating and degenerative physical illnesses
5.3 Many young people in a caring role suffer their own mental health problems; severe levels of anxiety or depression; self harm; have eating disorders; or use alcohol or drugs.
5.4 The projects work with schools in their locality to raise awareness with staff and pupils about young people in a caring role - some projects offer sessions as part of the PHSE curriculum.
5.5 The projects also offer support to families who are not receiving support from the statutory agencies, for whatever reason. This support from the projects may prevent some families from needing to be referred to Children or Adult Services.
5.6 The projects also fund-raise to provide activities which give children/young people the opportunity to have a few hours respite from their caring role and meet their peers.
5.7 The Hampshire County Council Youth Service works with young people between the ages of 13-19 years and provides support for young carers - specifically within the Romsey Youth Project and development is planned at the Station Road Project in Petersfield. Support is available for young people accessing other youth groups who may undertake a caring role.
6. QUOTES ABOUT THE PROJECTS
Young Carers
"It gives me a break from my brother and someone to talk to about my problems. I really enjoy my 1:1 and also the chance to meet with people in the same position as me and make new friends" (aged 9)
"If I didn't go to Wacky Carers I would be home with my brother more often - he has temper tantrums and is scary when he does it" (Aged 7)
"The service has provided many forms of support for me and helped me recognised that I am not on my own in my caring role" (aged 17)
"I can mix with people in the same situation who understand. Mum cannot go out of the house so with the project I get to go to places more often. I have made some lovely friends (aged 10)
"The project gives me the opportunity to go out on trips and transport - as I cannot go out because I do not have transport"
"I can get out of the house from all this hassle and make friends"
Parents
"The project gives our son release from home tensions and widens his social outlook. It gives him pride in himself"
"The project has given my daughter time-out and independence"
"T needs the opportunity to talk to someone other than his parents/grandparents as he takes a lot of emotional manipulation from his brother. The Project provides him with this opportunity."
"S has a very tough time at home and has greatly benefited from the time and support received from young carers"
"I think it is a great idea for young carers to become prominent in schools. I had no idea that such groups existed, if it wasn't for social services I wouldn't know now. I don't think you realise how much the project means to families."
"The project provides my daughter with a relaxed social experience, no pressures just fun. It allows her to mix with peers who also have difficulties at home"
7. WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACHIEVE?
7.1 The key principle of the strategy is to work towards preventing children providing an inappropriate level of care to any family member. Inappropriate is defined as when the level of care impacts unreasonably or is likely to impact unreasonably on a child's physical or emotional well-being or education opportunities. Supporting the whole family is integral to achieving this key principle.
7.2 To support families and reduce the amount of inappropriate care that a child/young person provides to any family member.
7.3 To ensure all young carers have access to projects/services which can provide support for their emotional needs, personal, social and educational development.
7.4 Inclusive provision/services for young carers
The agencies involved are aiming to achieve the position whereby there are opportunities for young carers to be seen as children first, by promoting inclusion and supporting them to undertake educational and leisure activities with their peers. However, it is appreciated that many young carers gain benefit from meeting with young people in a similar situation to themselves and should therefore be supported to take advantage of a choice of specialist projects and community based activities.
7.4.1 An increasing number of schools across the age spectrum are becoming more aware of children/young people in a caring role and the difficulties this may afford them in achieving their education. Schools are beginning to accept their responsibility towards young people in a caring role, and some work in a very positive way with young carers to enable them to achieve their full potential.
7.4.2 An additional priority is to ensure that the health needs of young carers are recognised and met by the National Health Service, including GPs, Health Visitors, School Nurses and associated professionals.
7.5 Choice for Young Carers
7.5.1 Young people in a caring role should be supported to make choices about their life and feel confident that if they are not able or do not wish to provide the care, then the cared for person is not put at risk.
7.5.2 The young carer projects continue to offer activities and support to young carers for those who wish to mix with young people in similar circumstances. However, the projects should not be the only option for young carers, and they should be encouraged to take part in activities with their peers who are not carers.
7.6 Assessment of need
7.6.1 Young people acting in a caring capacity within their family may be children in need, as defined within the Children Act 1989 especially when their caring role inhibits the experience and development of childhood. Children who care have the same rights as all children. Young carers have a right to an assessment of their own needs as a carer overseen by Children's Services and to have their views taken into account (Carers Recognition and Services Act 1995, Disabled Children Act 2000 and Carers Equal Opportunities Act 2004).
7.6.2 The assessment process should start with an assessment for the cared for person to identify their needs and how these will be met, what the impact is on the family and in particular the young person/s who may be providing care. The assessment for the cared for person may be undertaken by a care manage within Adult Services.
7.6.3 For those families where a young person is providing a substantial amount of care, a protocol has been put in place within Children's Services to facilitate referral from the adult sector to children and families.
7.6.4 Staff in Adult Services will often be working with an adult in the household and may have the responsibility of ensuring that the young carer is aware of their right to assessment, and making sure that Children's Services are involved when appropriate.
7.6.5 The assessment should take place at a time and venue to suit the young person. Information in relation to this should be included in appropriate in-house training courses across all agencies so that all staff are aware of this right and ensure that the information is passed to young carers. If a carer's assessment is being undertaken for a young person, this should also trigger the check to ensure that the person for whom the young person is caring, also receives a review and assessment for change of circumstances.
7.6.6 Young carers must always have their views taken into consideration when an assessment of the needs of the person they care for is carried out.
7.6.7 Consideration will be given as to whether a young carer is a `child in need' as defined in the Children Act 1989. The needs of the whole family, including the young carer, will be taken into consideration when an assessment is undertaken within the Framework for Assessment for children and young people as set out by the Department of Health.
7.6.8 Consideration will be given as to how the Common Assessment Framework can be used for young carers.
8. HOW ARE WE GOING TO ACHIEVE OUR AIMS?
8.1 `Taking Responsibility'
The document `Taking Responsibility' sets out the policy to which the agencies - Hampshire County Council, Connexions, NHS and The Children's Society are working and supporting young carers.
8.2 The Children Act 2004
8.2.1 The Children Act stipulates the need for all agencies including those in the voluntary sector to work in partnership to achieve key outcomes for children and young people.
8.2.2 All agencies need to work towards preventing children and young people having to take on a caring role to an unreasonable or unwanted degree, but supporting them in that role where appropriate.
8.3 Views of Young Carers and their Families
8.3.1 The views of young carers and their families have been periodically sought by The Children's Society who have undertaken several pieces of research on behalf of the County Council's Social Services Department.
8.3.2 It is envisaged that the national project the Children's Society is currently embarking on will be gaining views of families where there is a young person with a caring role. Views of young carers can be gained via the projects, and by the development workers where they are involved with agencies offering support to young people in a caring role.
8.4. Development Workers
8.4.1 Four Development Workers were appointed to work in different parts of the county to ensure that young carers can access the same services as any other young person in the community. These posts were originally funded from Carers Grant monies and are short term contracts until the end of March 2006. Two of the Development Workers are employed by the Youth Service and two by The Children's Society.
8.4.2 The Development Workers are working with voluntary organisations, district councils, education, health services, youth service, Connexions and the Young Carer Projects, to ensure that the needs of young carers and their families are recognised and met within the communities in which they live.
8.4.3 The multi-agency Steering Group has reviewed the current service and because of the positive development and progress achieved the decision was taken that the work should continue beyond March 2006 to March 2009.
8.5 Young Carer Projects
8.5.1 The seven projects work successfully with schools in their localities to raise awareness with staff and pupils about young people in a caring role.
8.5.2 They also support some families who may not be receiving support from the statutory agencies, for whatever reason. This support from the projects may prevent some families from needing to be referred to social services.
8.5.3 The projects also fund-raise to provide activities which give the child/young person an opportunity to have a few hours respite from their caring role and meet others in a similar situation.
8.6 Whole Family Working - a National Pilot
8.6.1 Hampshire County Council is one of three pilot local authorities working with The Children's Society's Young Carers Initiative which has obtained three year's funding from the Department for Education and Skills (Safeguarding Children Grant) to
¬ Encourage and support the effective implementation of interagency, whole family assessment pathways and service delivery at local practice levels
¬ Prevent these families falling through the gaps in agencies and adult and children's services
8.6.2 The work is being undertaken in partnership with the Disabled Parents Network and the Princess Royal Trust for Carers.
8.6.3 This has come at an opportune time for Hampshire and will support and enhance the inclusive support we are developing countywide.
8.7 Schools
8.7.1 Schools should be supported to take the lead in identifying young carers and building links with parents. Some schools have a named staff member to whom young people can go if they have issues they wish to discuss. The government strategy "Caring about Carers" has stated that each school should ensure its policies are inclusive to young carers and are accessible to parents with disabilities and sensory impairments.
8.8 Information for Carers and their Families
8.8.1 The Children's Society, funded by The Children's Fund is currently undertaking a piece of work to identify and deliver information for families. Families are being consulted about the type of information they need and where they would be most likely to access it. It is hoped that ultimately good quality information will be available for families wherever they live in the county. A schools resource pack and web pages are also being developed.
8.9 Children and Families and Adult Services
8.9.1 The Directors and relevant staff of Children's Services, and Adult Services need to continue to work closely together to ensure families are assessed and their needs met holistically as outlined in The Children Act and National Service Framework. The family must be seen as a "whole" and their needs met accordingly, not addressed as individuals by different social workers/care managers. The care needs of the parent need to be assessed and met to prevent children providing substantial care inappropriate to their age and capabilities.
8.9.2 The Best Practice Guidance for the Role of Director for Adult Services indicates clearly that Children's Services and Adult Services should work together to deliver an integrated whole systems approach to supporting communities
.
8.9.3 This includes ensuring that the needs of all young people with long-term social care needs who will make the transition from childhood to becoming adults have been assessed and appropriately taken into account in the provision of adult services - this will include young carers who at 18 will become adult carers; and that all adult services, and adult mental health services, remain child protection focused.
8.9.4 The document `Jigsaw of Services' published in March 2000 identifies the need for parents with disabilities to be given support to "parent" appropriately.
8.10 Family Empowerment
8.10.1 Empowering families to make their own decisions and enabling them to function as a family is all important. While there is the opportunity to offer a Family Group Conference, it is often more appropriate to offer families the opportunity to be enabled to undertake their own planning to meet their needs.
8.10.2 This can be done by offering support to families to set up a meeting with extended family members, friends, neighbours etc. with whom they feel "safe" to discuss the issues around support to reduce the caring role that the children within the family may have.
8.10.3 When others understand the issues, they may offer to provide some support themselves. For example a relative or friend may offer to prepare an evening meal once or twice a week, take a disabled child out for the afternoon, or spend time with the cared for person. This support would offer the young carer the opportunity to undertake activities out of school, or at weekends.
8.10.4 Anyone working with the family could suggest this process to them, and support them through the arrangements.
8.11 Family Group Conference
8.11.1 A referral for a Family Group Conference may be appropriate for some families, although it is a process that tends to be used when a decision needs to be made about a child, so may be less appropriate than the family meeting set out above for ascertaining what support is available.
8.11.2 Although Daybreak will provide some Family Group Conferences between October and March 2005 it is anticipated that in the north of the county provision will be in-house from October, and will roll out to the rest of the county from April 2006
8.12 Mentoring
8.12.4Mentoring schemes exist in some areas for young carers and other vulnerable children. These may be provided by schools, Connexions, or young carer projects.
8.12.5 Some of the Young Carer Projects offer a "buddy" system to young carers to support them in a variety of activities, and through difficult times in their lives.
8.13 Connexions
8.13.1 Connexions P.A.s also offer an information, advice, and guidance service for all 13-19 year olds (up to the age of 25 for young people with a learning disability and/or disabilities).
8.14 Schools Counselling Service
8.14.1 The Schools Counselling Service has recently developed a resource pack for schools which covers a variety of issues in respect of young people.
8.15 Support to the Young Carer Projects
8.15.1There are currently seven young carer projects across the county:
¬ Winchester Young Carers (has charity status)
¬ Andover Young Carers (has charity status)
¬ Rushmoor Young Carers (in-house project run with Hart Voluntary Action)
¬ KIDS provide a project in Fareham/Gosport (KIDS have charity status)
¬ Romsey Befrienders provide a project for young carers managed by Romsey Carers Forum ( has charity status)
¬ Basingstoke Mencap provide a project primarily for young carers who are siblings of children with disabilities - this will also include other young carers (Mencap has charity status)
¬ Eastleigh Community Service provide a self-funded project for young carers
8.15.2 All the seven projects provide services specifically for young carers - see paras 5.2-5.7
8.15.3 In the past, funding for the projects has been obtained by them from Comic Relief, Children in Need, the Community Fund, Children's Fund, and local community grants. Most of these initiatives are limited to short term funding (e.g. 1-3 years) for the development of new schemes and this leads inevitably to difficulties around sustainability and viability in the longer term.
8.15.4 It is hoped that core financial support can be offered to these projects by multi-agency funding arrangements.
8.15.5 If substantial core financial support is made to the projects this would need to be subject to an agreed Service Level Agreement and the projects monitored to ensure that they meet the requirements of the SLA, and to ensure that support and advice can be made available to the projects.
8.15.6 Support will also be given via multi-agency workshop days based around topics raised by the projects and/or the agencies
9. FUTURE SERVICE
9.1 For the future it may not necessarily be Children's Services that provides the lead in services for young carers - it could equally be any of the other statutory or voluntary agencies.
9.2 Children's Services do have a statutory obligation to provide a carer's assessment if a young person is referred for that purpose; it also has a statutory requirement to become involved if a child or young person is referred as a child in need within the meaning of the Children Act 1989.
9.3 Attention will need to be given to promoting the new Children's Services Authority so that it is not seen as stigmatising, and parents will have confidence to seek support early enough to prevent their child or children having an inappropriate caring role.
10. HOW WILL WE KNOW IF WE ARE ACHIEVING OUR AIMS?
· All agencies will have an understanding of the needs of young carers. For example in providing health care/support to a family a GP will acknowledge and identify that if a young person is living in a household where there is disability, mental health problems, substance misuse, he or she may be affected by this and also be providing a caring role. A GP will action a referral for support if needed or requested.
· Other health professionals who may identify a young person in a caring role could be School Nurses, Health Visitors, District Nurses and other Primary Health Care team members.
· Schools will be more understanding if children or young people do not hand in homework, arrive late or miss classes. School staff will try to identify the reason for this and if it is because they are undertaking a caring role within the home, ensure they have support to achieve their educational potential. They will signpost families to further help or assessment.
· Care Managers in adult services will be aware that if there are children or young people in a household they may be providing a substantial amount of inappropriate care, and act accordingly to ensure that families have sufficient support for both care and parenting needs so that young people do not have to provide inappropriate care.
· The Young Carer projects will be better supported through closer working with statutory agencies to meet the needs of young carers and their families
· The use of the Framework for Assessment will ensure that care needs are appropriately met and families will feel better supported as the needs of the young carers are identified.
· The number of young people providing a "substantial amount of care" within households will be reduced.
· The information received from young carers and their families via consultation and feedback opportunities should be more positive and indicate that we are meeting the majority of their needs
· Performance as measured in the Government's Performance Assessment Framework (PAF) and described in the annual Delivery and Improvement Statement (DIS) will demonstrate locally and nationally the positive changes in Hampshire.
11. USER INVOLVEMENT/EVALUATION
11.1 Families will have the opportunity over the next two years to present their views re current services and requirements for the future via the national pilot.
11.2 Young Carers will have similar opportunities via Young Carer projects.
CONCLUSION
This document is the first strategy for young carers that has been formally produced in Hampshire and confirms the partnership working that has taken place over the last thirteen years to develop services for these young people in the administrative county of Hampshire.
Development and awareness raising is ongoing via the various agencies and in particular the Development Worker posts funded by Children's Services via The Children's Society.
The new Children's Services Department will help improve focus on the needs of young carers and deliver better outcomes. It is important that the links with the Adult Care Services Department are retained.
This strategy will be regularly reviewed by the Multi-agency Steering Group and a formal review and update will be undertaken in 2007 prior to the cessation of the contract with The Children's Society for the Development Workers in 2009.
TIME FRAME FOR ACHIEVEMENT
MARCH/APRIL 2005 The multi-agency Advisory Group will start evaluation and considering the sustainability and ongoing development of the work undertaken by the Development Workers when their contracts expire in March 2006
Ongoing task will be to identify and finalise how the relationship with adult services will be continued in the light of the emerging Children's Services Department
JULY 2005 Take document to Children's Strategic Senior Management Team
October 2005 Present Strategy Document to the Children's Services PRC
Also present to Children & Young Persons Strategic Partnership Committee
2005/2006 Continuation of workshops for awareness raising - arranged by Development Workers
2005/06 Individual Mentors - looking to develop a mentoring service for individual young people which would include young carers. This could be via the Youth Service
2006 Family Mentoring - The Children's Services Authority will be developing a pilot for the SE of the county from January 2006.
2005 - ongoing Connexions - to give a commitment to young carers as one of their priority group of young people.
2005 - ongoing School Counselling - school staff being able to identify young carers and have an understanding of their needs.
DOCUMENT DISTRIBUTED TO:
Executive Member, Children's Services
Executive Member, Social Care
Executive Member, Education
Director of Children's Services
Director of Adult Social Care
Departmental Management Teams
County Managers
- Children's Services Authority
- Social Care - Adults
Service Managers - Operational and Strategic - Children
Service Managers - Operational and Strategic - Adults
Partnership Managers
Children's Leads - Primary Care Teams
CP Named Nurses
Family Support Team Managers
R&A Team Managers - Children
County Youth Officer
Deputy County Youth Officer
Chair, CAMHS Strategic Group
The Children's Society - Young Carer Initiative
Dale Tomlinson, Programme Manager, Children's Fund
Tessa Notman-Watt, Children's Fund
Julia Priestley, Development Manager, Connexions
Jim McGilvery - Deputy Principal EWO
Geoff Woollan - Development Officer (Users & Carers Involvement)
Colin Poynter - Manager, Youth Service
Maria Milton - Commissioning Officer (Carers Development)
Val Elliott - CP Adviser, North Hampshire Primary Care
Trust
Margaret Wilkinson - Fareham/Gosport Area (Gosport office)
Hampshire Mencap
Cares Together
Young Carer Projects : Winchester, Andover, Aldershot, Romsey, Basingstoke, Gosport.
Alison Heywood, Performance Management Unit
Penny Ford, Communications Team
Judy Trayford, Development Manager
John Dunning, JENI Co-ordinator
Morag Currie, Participation Officer
Rosie Peart, Child Protection Co-ordinator
The Children's Society
Drug and Alcohol Lead ????
HCFF - Hampshire County Family's Forum