School health nursing

There are about 32,000 young carers in the UK. Rebecca Coombes hears how a school nurse is helping one of them to cope.

The author discusses activities of a social inclusion team working at George Spencer Academy, which specializes in aiding the learning of young carers. He cites a research by BBC, which suggests that schools should identify the support needs of such vulnerable group of students by looking out for particular factors signifying that the student is a young carer. Among various facilities, the policy also offers individualized support, staff training, and reasonable allowances.

Seye Obadina looks at the importance of identifying young carers of parents with mental illness, and to offer them and their family adequate support.

Children as young as five are spending more time caring for a relative than they spend at school. Catharine Sadler reports on how nurses can identify and support young carers.