In a new report, the office of the Children’s Commissioner for England has called for a range of measures to help improve the early identification and support of young carers across the country.
The proposals include a joined-up approach between schools and other services, with each school introducing measures to identify young carers and ensure they are supported at key transition points. Also, every school should have a young carers champion, so that young carers have someone to talk to. Also, young carers should be made eligible for pupil premium funding so schools can provide the support needed.
The recommendations follow the findings of the Children’s Commissioner’s Attendance Audit, which looked at 10 local authorities to better understand why children are not attending school regularly or are out of school altogether.
The calls to improve support for young carers across England have been welcomed by charity, Caring Together. Chief executive Miriam Martin said: ‘For years, young carers have consistently said how having someone to talk to in school, and support to help them balance caring with learning, can make a huge difference. The measures would be extremely effective at changing the experiences of the hundreds of thousands of young carers across the country.’
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