Making it work: good practice with young carers and their families

The needs of young carers and their families are a multi-agency responsibility that crosses both adults’ and children and families’ services. This practice guide is therefore aimed at all agencies that have contact with young carers and the people for whom they care. It brings together much of the thinking and experience behind the good practice developed so far and will provide a useful starting point for those new to this area of work and serve as a development resource for the more experienced.

There are now many publications on the support of young carers, so what makes this practice guide any different? • It draws directly on the views of young carers and their families. • It promotes an inter-agency and holistic approach. • It offers the reader realistic, practical suggestions for the development of support services for young carers and their families. • It presents current legislation and policy guidelines clearly, relating them to recommendations for practical work. • It contains a detailed and fully annotated bibliography. In short, this guide is a useful tool for all practitioners and those involved in the planning of services.