NIACE’s Work with Young Adult Carers

Figures released in May 2013, from the 2011 census, show that there has been a 25% increase in the number of young adult carers, aged 16-25.  Research conducted by NIACE and others, and widespread anecdotal evidence shows that young adult carers are far more likely to be NEET (not in education, employment or training) than their peers, and that they experience a range of difficulties and disadvantage, including poverty, isolation, physical and mental health difficulties which have consequences for them, and their families, throughout their lives.

What are we aiming to achieve?

The aim of NIACE's work with young adult carers is to:

  • Raise awareness of the needs and experiences of young adult carers (16-25)
  • Support young adult carers to effectively engage in learning and work, have high aspirations and achieve their full potential
  • Support organisations and learning providers that work with young adult carers to offer effective, tailored and flexible support
  • Contribute to improving the lives of young adult carers, by developing work that helps to reduce their levels of disadvantage, isolation and marginalisation.

How will we do this work?

NIACE's work with young adult carers started in 2007, we are achieving our aims through a range of activity and projects, including:

  • The WE Care project
  • Policy activity - National Policy Forum, Policy Seminar, Policy Paper
  • Voices of Young Adult Carers publication
  • The Who Cares? project
  • Nuffield Foundation project
  • Supporting the inclusion of young adult carers in FE

Information about each of these projects, and free project resources, can be found below.

Who is this work for?

The audience for NIACE's work with young adult carers is:

  • Young adult carers
  • Learning providers
  • Staff across the informal learning and youth work sector
  • Social services, school based staff and carers' centre staff who work with young adult carers
  • Information, advice and guidance staff
  • Employers
  • Policymakers

 

What is coming next?

The WE Care Project - improving Work and Education for young adult carers

Funded through the Department of Health's Voluntary Sector Investment Programme, the WE Care project will run from 2013-2016.  Through the project NIACE will undertake a wide range of development work to improve access to work and education for young adult carers.  At the heart of the project will be extensive consultations with young adult carers about their needs. Young adult carers will also be involved in the development of project outputs, including:

  • financial capability resources for young adult carers and their families;
  • targeted resources for use by employers, information, advice and guidance staff and support agencies;
  • briefings for local health and wellbeing boards;
  • good practice case studies;
  • staff training sessions.

This project will address the needs of all young adult carers (16-25), but will have an additional focus upon young male carers and young adult carers from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, as research shows that little is currently known about the needs and experiences of these particular groups of carers.

What have we accomplished to date?

Policy Activity

In January 2013 NIACE's policy paper 'Access and Inclusion: Young Adult Carers and Education and Training' was published.  The paper was launched at a high level policy seminar convened by NIACE and Carers Trust, in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal. 

Follow this link to download a free copy of the policy paper - http://www.niace.org.uk/sites/default/files/access_and_inclusion_-_young_adult_carers_and_education_and_training_1.pdf

Follow this link for further information about the policy seminar - http://www.niace.org.uk/news/supporting-young-adult-carers-to-access-learning

One of the key outcomes from the January 2013 policy seminar, was a committment to set up a National Policy Forum around improving policy to support young adult carers' access to learning.  The first meeting of the National Policy Forum was held in May 2013 and was attended by senior representatives from five government departments, the Standing Commission on Carers, third sector organisations and young adult carers.  A further two meetings will be held during 2013/14.

Voices of Young Adult Carers - publication

The stories featured in this publication are young adult carers’ (between the ages of 16 and 25) personal accounts of their caring role and the impact that caring has had upon their lives, particularly upon their participation in learning. All of the stories have been written by individual young adult carers, in their own words.

NIACE believes that the most powerful advocates for effective learning and support are young adult carers themselves; the stories included in this publication highlight this. We hope that these stories will encourage and inspire other young adult carers, and that they will enable practitioners and policymakers to gain a deeper understanding of young adult carers’ experiences and needs. Click on this link to download a free copy of Voices of Young Adult Carers:

http://shop.niace.org.uk/voices-of-young-adult-carers.html

Who Cares? Project

Between 2009-2012, NIACE received funding from the Department of Health Third Sector Investment Programme for a project entitled 'Who Cares? Promoting Family Focussed Learning Opportunities for Young Adult Carers.'

The purpose of this project was to support practitioners who work with young adult carers to develop learning opportunities that are family-focussed and responsive to their needs. The Who Cares? Project also had an explicit focus upon the needs and experiences of young adult carers with a learning difficulty; a group of potential learners about whom little is known. This project is now complete.  A number of resources were produced through the Who Cares? project:

Nuffield Foundation Project

During 2008-9 NIACE received funding from the Nuffield Foundation to produce a policy briefing paper and a project summary report to raise awareness of the issues around access to education and training for young adult carers, aged 16 - 25, as they go through key transitions. This work is now complete. The policy briefing paper and the project summary report are available as free downloads from our online shop:

http://shop.niace.org.uk/access-carers-summary.html

http://shop.niace.org.uk/access-carers-briefing-paper.html

Supporting the Inclusion of Young Adult Carers in FE

This tool is for use by FE providers.  It is designed to support them to assess the extent to which their organisation is responsive to the needs of young adult carers, by identifying current provision, priorities for improvement and producing a development plan towards a whole-organisation approach to young adult carers.

This tool is free and can be accesses by clicking on the link below:

http://shop.niace.org.uk/young-carers-assessment-tool.html

 

Documents
application/msword icon Click hear to read Leslee's blog about being a young adult carer
application/msword icon Amy talks about how being a young adult carer has affected her life
application/msword icon Tom describes the impact of being a carer upon his education, social networks and his self esteem

What is (or will be) the impact of this work?

NIACE's work with young adult carers is having an impact at a range of levels, it is designed to:

  • Raise awareness of the needs and experiences of young adult carers (16-25) - both at individual, policy and practice level.
  • Support young adult carers to effectively engage in learning and work, have high aspirations and achieve their full potential
  • Support organisations and learning providers that work with young adult carers to offer effective, tailored and flexible support
  • Contribute to improving the lives of young adult carers, by developing work that helps to reduce their levels of disadvantage, isolation and marginalisation.

Contact Information

Nicola Aylward, Project Officer

NIACE
21 De Montfort Street
Leicester, LE1 7GE

Tel 0116 2042832

E-mail nicola.aylward@niace.org.uk

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