Agenda item

To consider a report by the Head of Service – Birth to Settled Adulthood.

The Head of Service for Birth to Settled Adulthood introduced the report on Young Carer services and support. Since the introduction of the All-Age Carers Support Service provided by Help & Care / MYTIME Young Carers in November 2025, there has been an increase in the number of young carers being identified. If young carers do not have a significant caring role, they would be given advice and guidance if they were not eligible for the service. Over the coming year, the service wanted to develop further guidance for professionals and establish a network of Young Carer Champions within schools to improve identification and support.

Members discussed the report and during the discussion the following points were raised:

·         The types of support available and the circumstances in which young people were identified as carers. The Head of Birth to Settled Adulthood explained that support could involve working with the whole family, particularly where very young carers were involved, and could include assessments and the provision of short breaks. Young people could self-identify as carers or be referred by parents or guardians, and that support ranged from telephone and text-based contact through to practical assistance in accessing activities and services.

·         Whether information was available on the school attendance of young carers. The Service Manager for Birth to Settled Adulthood advised that MyTime collected this information and reported that caring responsibilities could have a significant impact on school attendance, with some young carers missing school or being reluctant to attend if they were late due to their caring role. She explained that the development of targeted communications and Young Carer Champions within schools aimed to improve awareness and support.

·         Whether Family Hubs could play a role in supporting young carers. The Head of Birth to Settled Adulthood agreed to take this suggestion away for further consideration.

·         The Executive Director of Children’s Services reported that MyTime had found that educational attainment improved where schools had greater awareness of young carers and the support available to them.

·         The process for closing cases due to non-contact. The Head of Birth to Settled Adulthood explained that young carers were contacted at least monthly and, where repeated attempts to make contact were unsuccessful, they would be advised that their case might be closed. However, they would still be able to access support in the future if required.

·         Whether the expected increase in the number of young carers reflected growing need or improved identification. The Head of Birth to Settled Adulthood advised that the increase was primarily due to greater awareness and improved identification of young carers.

During the discussion, the committee agreed to extend the meeting beyond 3 hours.

In summing up, the Chairman welcomed the work being undertaken to support young carers. She requested that further consideration be given to the role Family Hubs could play in supporting young carers and noted the committee's support for the continued development of work within schools, including the Young Carer Champions programme.

Cllr R Legg left the meeting at the end of this item.