Action day highlights impact of Covid on city’s young carers

Young Carers Action Day on 16 March 2021 aims to raise awareness of young carers and the issues that are important to them.

Young carers are aged 6-18 who provide unpaid support to family or friends who couldn't manage without this help. This can mean caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled, or has mental health or substance misuse problems.

They often miss out on fun activities and seeing friends, don’t do as well at school as their peers and are more likely to have issues with school absence and emotional or mental health needs. The pressure on young carers has only increased since the pandemic.

The council and partner organisations currently support just over 350 young carers in Brighton & Hove, but the actual numbers are much higher.

To mark Young Carers Action Day the council has pledged to work with The Young Carers Project, schools, other services and agencies in the city to find these hidden or unknown young carers ensuring that their voices are heard and their needs are understood.

This will be achieved by having more dedicated young carer family coaches, through events and other outreach activities, having a dedicated school worker in schools working with pupils and staff to raise awareness of young carers, and through the young carers strategy group.

Katie Shortt is a young carer family coach in the council’s families, children and learning team, she explains what impact Covid-19 has had on the people she supports.

She said: “I know from first-hand experience that Covid has increased the pressure and worry for some of our young carers about the person they care for because their usual support networks or respite activities are not there anymore and the responsibility they take on might have increased. 

“Having to take on the extra responsibilities during a pandemic where school life has been stop and start and ways of learning are constantly changing can be so overwhelming.

"This has been especially important for children transitioning from primary to secondary school, which is always more difficult for young carers due to the added responsibility put on children to be more independent when they start at secondary school.

“However, we have also seen how amazingly young carers have managed over the year and they should be proud of what they have achieved.  Every January we usually run an event where we give out awards to young carers and can all celebrate the amazing role they play in the city. 

"We feel sad that this hasn’t been able to take place in its usual way this year, but it’s so important to continue to recognise these young people and ensure they know how valued they are.”

Katie has supported families during the lockdown in a variety of ways. She added: “This has been a very stressful time for all parents, so being a listening ear and offering reassurance around how well they are managing, as well as strategies to use, information, advice and advocacy makes a big difference when they are so isolated.

“We have also worked to ensure young carers have access to the technology they need during this time, to keep them connected with peers, their online learning and their young carers support workers and activities.”

Families have voiced their appreciation of the support. One parent said: “It has made a big difference for my daughter to have support from Katie and the team, helping her deal with her emotions, she now feels confident to be able to talk, rather than bottling everything up inside, it has made her a much happier young lady”.

Chair of the council’s children, young people and skills committee, Councillor Hannah Clare, said: "Young carers do an amazing job supporting their loved ones. It’s really important especially during this pandemic that all the city’s young carers are receiving the support they are entitled to and have the same opportunities as other young people.”

For further information about the support available to young carers in the city, please:

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