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Young carers

Carers

Provides an overview of carers in the UK.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:13

Population assessment toolkit

An interactive toolkit, developed to support the implementation of the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act, which provides information and advice to support Local Authorities and Health Boards to undertake an assessment of care and support needs and carers' needs in their local area. The toolkit is in three main sections. Section one (the ‘What’ guide) looks at what is required under the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act, the benefits of carrying out an assessment, analysing the data, and what should be included in the report.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:12

One million and counting: the hidden army of young carers in Canada

The term ‘young carer’ refers to those youth under the age of 25 years who provide substantial unpaid support to a family member due to factors including, but not limited to, familial or parental absence, disability, mental health issue(s) or problems with alcohol and/or other drugs. In the UK, national statistics have been integral to tracking the prevalence of young carers while serving as an important tool towards the development of (and justification for) a national legislative framework supporting these youth.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:11

Improving support for young carers: family-focused approaches

This paper looks at the work of 18 local authorities to create systems and support to help families with young carers. It explores some of the positive outcomes from taking a family-focused approach and showcases good practice in this field.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:11

The health and well-being of young carers

A SCIE Research briefing provides up-to-date information on a particular topic. It is a concise document summarising the knowledge base in a particular area and is intended as a 'launch pad’ or signpost to more in-depth investigation or enquiry. It is not a definitive statement of all evidence on a particular issue. The briefing is divided into the different types of knowledge relevant to health and social care research and practice, as defined by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE).

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:11

MyCare: the challenges facing young carers of parents with a severe mental illness

Adults with severe and enduring mental health problems are amongst the most marginalised and vulnerable people in our society. In providing care for these individuals, mental health professionals may potentially overlook the fact that many of these people are also parents: • There are an estimated 50,000 – 200,000 young people in the UK caring for a parent with mental health problems. • Many of these young people will provide help and support for a parent. • Some of these young people will be providing care beyond a level that is appropriate for their age. They will be ‘young carers’.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:11

Social work practice with carers

Website providing a range of resources to help support social work practice with carers. It aims help social workers to develop a better understanding of the issues carers face and provides tools to help put this learning into practice. Resources cover general information about social work with carers, links to resources about social work law and practice, tools and training materials. The site also includes five case studies which illustrate how social work can provide support to carers.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:11

“I Can’t Go to School and Leave Her in So Much Pain”: Educational Shortfalls Among Adolescent ‘Young Carers’ in the South African AIDS Epidemic

“I go to the hospital with my mother when she is sick. I can’t go to school and leave her in so much pain. I won’t concentrate.” Millions of adolescents live with AIDS-affected parents or primary caregivers. Little is known about educational impacts of living in an AIDS-affected home, or of acting as a “young carer” in the context of AIDS. This study combined qualitative and quantitative methods to determine educational impacts of household AIDS-sickness and other-sickness.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:10

Changing families, changing childhoods: changing schools?

This paper reports key findings from a study of young people’s engagement in ‘atypical’ activities in their families. The project focused on young caring and language brokering as two roles that are not assumed to be ‘normal’ activities for children and young people. The findings presented are from a survey of 1002 young people and from one‐to‐one interviews with a sample selected from the survey sample. The voices of young people in the interview study are used in the paper to illustrate the diverse range of childhood experiences.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:09

Young carers of parent with mental health issues

In 2009, The Social Care Institute for Excellence introduced guidelines for practitioners to support families in which parents have mental health problems. Here, SCIE presents a case study demonstrating how the guidance could be successfully applied. 

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:09