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Young carers' services

Supporting Young Carers during Carers Week 2013

This Carers Week we are encouraging local services to link up with local schools and colleges and encourage them to raise awareness of the campaign with their students to support young carers. Are they Prepared to Care?

Raising awareness of the impact of caring and understanding how education providers can support young carers can help improve opportunities for young carers as they transition to adulthood. Carers Week provides the ideal opportunity for schools and colleges to demonstrate that they are Prepared to Care?

If you haven’t already done so why not use Carers Week (10-16 June 2013) to link up with your local schools and colleges and promote the support you provide to young carers. Carers Week provides a great opportunity to inform staff and volunteers about the impact of caring on young carers’ lives and develop a programme of activities to reach out to and support young carers.

Here are ten ways we suggest that you can encourage your local schools and colleges to celebrate and recognise young carers this Carers Week:

Purchase a specific Carers Week ‘school’s pack’
Hold an assembly to raise the awareness of young carers with pupils and staff
Set up a dedicated information stand about young carers and support available, using resources from the Carers Week ‘school’s pack’. Consider including:Setting up an information board for pupils who are young carers; Young Carer Challenge game. For example, where pupils try to hold or juggle balls that represent the different responsibilities they ‘juggle’.
Invite a local young carers’ service to give a deliver an assembly or presentation
Run a non-uniform day to raise money for young carers
Promote how your school supports young carers to both pupils and parents
Deliver PSHE lessons with a focus on young carers
Work with a local drama company to put on a play or drama workshops about young carers
Showcase the topic of young carers through promoting films and books on young carers in the school library
Consider implementing a policy for supporting young carers in your school and identifying a School Lead to coordinate support for young carers.

For more information please see Supporting Young Carers: A resource for schools.

Carers Week has developed a special School’s pack which includes posters, balloons and stickers to promote the campaign. To order your £6 pack, please click here

Let us know what you have planned for young carers locally and don’t forget to register and promote your events on the Carers Week website. If you are successful in engaging local schools and colleges tell us about it. You can get in touch with the Carers Week team on email or t 020 7378 4955 or 4958.

Schools and colleges

Following a survey in 2010, the BBC estimated that there are 700,000 young carers in the UK. One in 12 (8%) of the secondary pupils who were surveyed had caring responsibilities. Are you Prepared to Care?

Being a young carer can seriously affect a pupil’s attendance, achievement and attainment at school, and many young carers report that they have dropped out of school in the past. Often however, schools are unaware that caring responsibilities are the root cause.

Research has shown that:

27 per cent of young carers aged 11–15 experience educational difficulties or miss school, rising to 40 per cent where children are caring for a relative with substance misuse or alcohol issues. Click here for the full report
Over 39 per cent of young carers had not informed their teacher or any member of staff that they were a young carer and 68 per cent of young carers are bullied in schools Click here for this resource
Young adult carers aged between 16 and 18 years are twice as likely to be not in education, employment, or training (NEET). Click here for the full report

This Carers Week we are asking schools and colleges to think about their role in supporting young carers with their caring role. Many young carers are at risk of social exclusion. Caring impacts on young carers' health and well-being and it is a challenge to balance their family role with the demands of education, employment opportunities and developing adult relationships.

Raising awareness of the impact of caring and understanding how education providers can support young carers can help improve opportunities for young carers as they transition to adulthood. Carers Week provides the ideal opportunity for you to demonstrate that you are Prepared to Care?

Why not use Carers Week (10-16 June 2013) to link up with a local service and find out about the support they provide to young carers. You can inform staff and volunteers about the impact of caring on young carers’ lives and develop a programme of activities to reach out to and support young carers.

Here are ten ways we suggest that you can celebrate and recognise young carers this Carers Week in your school or college:

Purchase a specific Carers Week ‘school’s pack’
Hold an assembly to raise the awareness of young carers with pupils and staff
Set up a dedicated information stand about young carers and support available, using resources from the Carers Week ‘school’s pack’. Consider including:Setting up an information board for pupils who are young carers; Young Carer Challenge game. For example, where pupils try to hold or juggle balls that represent the different responsibilities they ‘juggle’.
Invite a local young carers’ service to give a deliver an assembly or presentation
Run a non-uniform day to raise money for young carers
Promote how your school supports young carers to both pupils and parents
Deliver PSHE lessons with a focus on young carers
Work with a local drama company to put on a play or drama workshops about young carers
Showcase the topic of young carers through promoting films and books on young carers in the school library
Consider implementing a policy for supporting young carers in your school and identifying a School Lead to coordinate support for young carers.

For more information please see Supporting Young Carers: A resource for schools.

Carers Week has developed a special School’s pack which includes posters, balloons and stickers to promote the campaign. To order your £6 pack, please click here

Young carers’ services might be able to champion some of these ideas and support schools in their delivery – to find out about services local to you here

Let us know what you have planned and get in touch if you want to know more about Carers Week on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or t 020 7378 4955 or 4958.

Every day I'm a carer poster - INTERVIEW

Employers

One in eight workers in the UK combine work with caring responsibilities for a disabled, ill or frail relative or friend. As an employer are you Prepared to Care?

Employers have a vital role in supporting their staff with caring responsibilities. Carers Week provides the ideal opportunity to engage with your staff and promote your policies and procedures. It is also a great time to find out about the support available from the Carers Week partners or in your local area.

Want to be part of Carers Week?

Here are some ways in which you can be involved:

Register to be part of Carers Week and receive a free Welcome Pack
Use our promotional materials to raise awareness – have an information board in your staff room or communal spaces
Hold an event or activity to celebrate and recognise carers – you can publicise it on the Events Near You section
Talk to the local media – raise the profile of how you are supporting your workforce
Use social media – join us on Facebook and Twitter and share your photos of the events and activities you have planned
Link in with our local organisations and find out how they work with and support carers
Don’t forget to find out what is happening near you that you could join in with

This year’s theme is Prepared to Care? Carers Week will be highlighting how employers understanding the needs of carers can make a real difference. We will do this by:

Highlighting the contribution made by carers in your workplace
Reaching out to 'hidden carers' who might not realise that they are caring
Let all carers know about the support and services that they can access

Are you doing enough for carers? Employers for Carers has produced a toolkit to help employers Prepare to Care? this Carers Week. To download this toolkit click here

Employers for Carers is supported by the specialist knowledge of Carers UK one of the Carers Week partners. Macmillan Cancer Support provides advice on working while caring for someone with cancer and Skills for Care has produced guidance on supporting carers in the social care workforce

This Carers Week Employers for Carers (Leadership Group) Member Sainsbury’s plc is sponsoring the campaign and encouraging all of its stores to take part and raise the profile of caring and the support available among their staff and customers.

Find out about the Carers Week partners, supporters and sponsors here.

Let us know what you have planned and get in touch if you want to know more about Carers Week on email or t 020 7378 4955 or 4958.

GP surgeries

Every day 6,000 people take on new caring responsibilities. Are you Prepared to Care?

Frontline workers have a vital role to play in identifying carers and signposting them to support, advice and information. Find out about the support available from the Carers Week partners or in your local area.

As part of Carers Week the partners will be launching a report which will identify how carers value the support from health and other professionals. Is your surgery Prepared to Care?

Do you know about local services for carers?
Do you have a Carers Register and a system to identify carers?
Are carers represented on your Patient Participation Group?
Do you have a Carers Lead at your surgery?

Want to be part of Carers Week?

Here are some ways in which you can be involved:

Register to be part of Carers Week and receive a free Welcome Pack
Use our promotional materials to raise awareness – have an information board in your surgery (COMING SOON – Carers Week info slide for your info screens)
Hold an event or activity to celebrate and recognise carers – making sure you publicise it on the Events Near You section
Talk to the local media – raise the profile of your services
Use social media – join us on Facebook and Twitter and share your photos of the events and activities you have planned
Link in with our local organisations and find out how they work with and support carers
Don’t forget to find out what is happening near you that you could join in with

This year’s theme is Prepared to Care? Carers Week will be highlighting how GP surgeries have an essential role in recognising the valuable contribution of carers and supporting carers. Are you doing enough for carers? For more information about how you can work with carers The Royal College of GPs has published a guide Supporting Carers and is working with Carers UK and the Carers Trust on a Department for Health funded project to work with GP surgeries in England. For more information visit

Social care providers

Every day 6,000 people take on new caring responsibilities. Are you Prepared to Care?

In 2013 Carers Week is working with Skills for Care to identify ways in which the social care workforce are Prepared to Care? More information will be available here shortly.

Want to be part of Carers Week?

Here are some ways in which you can be involved:

Register to be part of Carers Week and receive a free Welcome Pack
Use our promotional materials to raise awareness
Hold an event or activity to celebrate and recognise carers – making sure you publicise it on the Events Near You section
Talk to the local media – raise the profile of your services (news release COMING SOON)
Use social media – join us on Facebook and Twitter and share your photos of the events and activities you have planned
Link in with other local organisations and find out how they work with and support carers
Don’t forget to find out what is happening near you that you could join in with

This year’s theme is Prepared to Care? Carers Week will be highlighting how local services have an essential role in recognising the valuable contribution of carers. Are you doing enough for carers?

As part of Carers Week the partners will be launching a report which will identify how carers value the support from social care and other professionals. Are your staff Prepared to Care?

Health providers

Every day 6,000 people take on new caring responsibilities. Are you Prepared to Care?

Want to be part of Carers Week?

Here are some ways in which you can be involved:

Register to be part of Carers Week and receive a free Welcome Pack
Use our promotional materials to raise awareness
Hold an event or activity to celebrate and recognise carers – making sure you publicise it on the Events Near You section
Talk to the local media – raise the profile of your services (news release COMING SOON)
Use social media – join us on Facebook and Twitter and share your photos of the events and activities you have planned
Link in with other local organisations and find out how they work with and support carers
Don’t forget to find out what is happening near you that you could join in with

As part of Carers Week the partners will be launching a report which will identify how carers value the support from health and other professionals. Are your staff Prepared to Care?

Local voluntary organisations and charities

Carers Week provides the ideal opportunity for groups working locally to support carers and families to raise awareness of the services you provide. Use the campaign to get people in your community to talk about caring and the impact it has on people’s lives and show you are Prepared to Care.

Want to be part of Carers Week?

Here are some ways in which you can be involved:

Register to be part of Carers Week and receive a free Welcome Pack
Use our promotional materials to raise awareness
Hold an event or activity to celebrate and recognise carers – making sure you publicise it on the Events Near You section
Talk to the local media – raise the profile of your services (news release COMING SOON)
Use social media – join us on Facebook and Twitter and share your photos of the events and activities you have planned
Encourage carers you know to share their story with the local press or help Carers Week get the message out far and wide
Don’t forget to find out what is happening near you that you could join in with

Why not use Carers Week as an opportunity to talk to key stakeholders and decision makers. Get in touch with your local MP, link up with GP surgeries, local councillors and service providers. Is your community Prepared to Care?

Take part

Part of the huge success of Carers Week is that so many organisations and individuals get behind the campaign offering their support, time and ideas to create a real buzz about caring.

Last year over 1,900 organisations got involved in Carers Week. A wide range of organisations registered including local carers’ groups, charities and local voluntary organisations, GP surgeries, local authorities, NHS services, hospital, hospitals, day care centres and residential care homes. Hundreds of employers also got involved too to highlight to their staff how they try to support them with their caring role.

Make sure you use Carers Week 2013 to show how you are prepared to care.

Organising events and activities

Putting on an event at your place of work, in your community or in partnership with other organisations is a great way to participate in Carers Week. Any event can also be used to generate publicity and identify what you are doing to celebrate and support unpaid carers.

Depending on the type of organisation you could consider putting on some or all of the following:

Set up an information stand or sessions or organise a window display – vacant retail space can be the ideal place for this.
Display stands at local community organisations and libraries with Carers Week materials and information about your services can also be a really effective way of raising awareness of your services.
Plan a party, meal, BBQ or picnic for carers and their families. Quiz nights can also be a great way to recognise carers.
Invite health and social care professionals to a Question Time session – where carers can get advice and information on the key issues.
Put on a Take Care of Yourself Day for carers. This could include a programme of aromatherapy, stress management, relaxation techniques, nutrition advice and massage.
Organise an outing or a day trip for carers such as a visit to the countryside, seaside or local town or city.
Plan an open day at your organisation if you provide services for carers or the people they care for. If you do not have space think about hiring premises or finding out if there are other Carers Week events happening nearby you can go to.

Last year over 9,000 events and activities took place right across the UK. Make sure you register to take part in Carers Week and tell us what you plan to do. You can publicise all your events here once you have registered.

To make sure that your event is promoted follow these three easy steps.

One

Two

Get ideas from the Carers Week team of events and activities that you can organise in the regular e-news and Welcome Pack which comes with a guide for getting involved – free if you register.

Three

Plan your event and publicise it on the Carers Week website.

Don’t forget to order Carers Week promotional materials and merchandise from the Carers Week shop

How we can help

Part of the huge success of Carers Week is that so many organisations and individuals get behind the campaign offering their support, time and ideas to create a real buzz about caring.

Carers Week supports this activity by:

Producing a guide to inspire and make suggestions of how to get involved – to get your copy register for Carers Week 2013 here to receive your Welcome Pack.
A FREE Welcome Pack that includes - A guide to help you prepare for Carers Week, four A4 and one A3 poster (only the design - generic) to promote your events and activities, 25 Carers Week Flyers, 12 Prepared to Care? booklets and a sheet of Carers Week stickers - kindly sponsored by Sainsbury's plc.
Providing regular updates in an e-newsletter, on this website, posts on Facebook and our Twitter feed.
Developing materials to help identify hidden carers to enable them to access support and services – visit our webshop to buy our eye-catching range of promotional materials as part of our Every day I’m a carer range and merchandise for your events and activities.
Showcasing the organisations that are participating and the events and activities they have planned on this website and using social media.
Sharing template news releases to be used in the local press.
Finding celebrity supporters to support the UK-wide campaign.

To register for Carers Week 2013 click here

The Sainsbury's sponsored Welcome Packs are limited to one per organisation. There is a limited number of Welcome Packs so Carers Week recommends registering now to avoid disappointment.

For information about Carers Week and how to get involved contact Carers Week Manager This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 020 7378 4955.

Prepared to Care? survey

Prepared to Care?

Every day 6,000 people take on new caring responsibilities in the UK. Without the right support, advice and information caring can impact on your relationships, finances, career and health and well-being. This Carers Week we are exploring how Prepared to Care? we are in the UK and asking carers what would make a real difference to their lives.

Thank you to the over 2,000 carers that took the time to complete the Prepared to Care? survey. The findings are currently being analysed and compiled in a report which we will published to launch Carers Week 2013 and be used to identify recommendations that the campaign will focus on in 2014 and 2015.

If you are interested in helping Carers Week highlight the highs and lows of caring there are lots of ways you can get involved. You could be a media spokesperson, write a blog or short article, get involved in campaigning and much more. Whatever time you can spare we would really value your contribution.

Please get in touch by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .