Sheffield young carer calls for more support from government

A Sheffield teenager is calling on the government to better support young carers.

Mirrie, 16, visited Downing Street with other young carers last Tuesday as the first parliamentary inquiry on the issue published its findings.

The Carers Trust handed a letter, signed by 1,267 young carers, to Number 10 calling for change.

The government said it has policies to spot and support young carers in need.

The young carers' and young adult carers' inquiry was set up by the dedicated All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and supported by the Carers Trust charity.

According to the charity Sheffield Young Carers, which was one of 70 organisations that contributed to the inquiry, young people with caring responsibilities face a number of "missed life opportunities".

It found about 15,000 children in the UK, including 3,000 aged just five to nine, spend 50 hours or more a week looking after ill or disabled relatives.

The inquiry also found young carers miss, on average, 27 school days per year due to caring responsibilities and they are twice as likely to attempt to take their own life compared to non-carers.

Speaking about their trip to London, Mirrie said: "Being there showed me that all the work we do actually makes a difference in Westminster, and it made me hopeful for much more change in the future."

Kirsty McHugh, chief executive of Carers Trust, said the findings of the inquiry were "damning", and said it should serve as "a wake-up call" that young carers "are being horribly let down by the system."

She added: "They are facing huge disadvantages when it comes to education, job prospects and wellbeing, all because they put their loved ones first."As the social care system struggles to cope with demand, these young people are having to fill the gaps. Support needs to be ramped up across the board and there's a critical need for a long-term strategy to ensure a fair future for every young carer." 

A Department for Education spokesman said young carers made "an enormous contribution" and added policies were in place to both spot and support those in need.

He added: "This is why we introduced a legal responsibility on local authorities to identify local young carers and undertaking assessments of their needs.

"Our recently published care strategy outlines new and bolstered services to support families, including young carers, making sure the right team of professionals is put in place to help address issues earlier."

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