Passionate About a Cause, Together We Are a Force!

Recently when preparing how the QNI would support Young Carers Action Day 2024 I was asked, “Where does your passion to support young carers come from?”

School Corridors

Thinking back, it began in school corridors as a School Nurse putting up posters. Our holistic health assessment included finding out if a child or young person was supporting anyone. Collaborating with schools, we carried out Universal Yr 6 Health Questionnaires at the crucial time of transition to High School. Both interventions provided the opportunity to identify children and young people who had caring responsibilities and who could be referred to our local Young Carers Service. The young people were selfless – many not identifying themselves as a young carer – because young carers often don’t.

Strategic Role

I then worked as a Project then Programme Manager at West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. This provided a fantastic opportunity to work at a strategic level with partner organisations delivering Carer and Young Carer services. Whilst there I met a group of young carers including Tom and Sara and together, we co-produced many system-wide projects. We led a project opening a window into their world by creating a series of short films to raise awareness, launching a Young Carer Support App, Young Carers Support App – Expert Self Care and an eBook, Lets Cook! The young carers were committed and dedicated, displaying skills and maturity above and beyond their age, keen to show others what their lives were like and the impact of caring as a child or young person. Their enthusiasm, commitment and drive has never left me and neither have Tom and Sara.

International Conference

When I was changing roles in 2023, Tom emailed saying he and Sara wanted to keep in touch and continue volunteering with me supporting the Young Carers agenda. What a year we’ve had… including attending an NHSE / Carers Trust round table, and going to Parliament for the launch of the Young Carers and Young Adult Carers APPG inquiry report, and if you haven’t read it you must, you will be shocked: appg-for-young-carers-and-young-adult-carers-inquiry-report.pdf . Now we’re going international, busy preparing to present at the International Young Carers Conference in April, alongside Nursing Times Awards shortlisted Hertfordshire NHS Community Trust Nurses presenting their Young Carers QNI Innovation Project. We are all excited to collectively showcase what community nurses can do to improve the health and wellbeing of young carers. Find out about the event here: 2024 International Young Carers Conference – Eurocarers

Fair Futures

The theme of Young Carers Action Day is Fair Futures for Young Carers. Young carers deserve and have the right to a fair future, but we know:

• The average wait to be identified for support is 3 years but some young carers wait 10 years
• The average number of days missed in a school year is 27
• Young Carers are more likely to self harm and of those who self harm are twice as likely to attempt suicide as their peers without a caring role.

All community nurses have a role and should commit to identifying, supporting and signposting unpaid carers of all ages and supporting the system wide “No Wrong Doors for Young Carers” Memorandum of Understanding – no-wrong-doors-for-young-carers—implementation-guidance—final.pdf . This brings local authorities, ICBs and other partners together to ensure they comply with their statutory duties.

The QNI is not new to supporting carers of all ages and as their Carers Champion, I am delighted the QNI continues to demonstrate its ongoing commitment including in the last year:

• becoming the 200^th organisational member of the Young Carers Alliance
• membership of the Young Carers Strategic Oversight Group
• involved in development and one of first organisations to sign up to Young Carers Covenant.

Take Action

Young Carers Action Day is an annual event to raise awareness but also to stop and think about what you can do in your role to identify, support and signpost young carers and their families. We could all make a difference wherever in the community we work. We can and should all act… and start today.

Here’s a few ideas:

• Ask How are you? Be curious and consider the whole family
• Join the Young Carers Alliance it is free to join as an individual or organisation. There are regular webinars to brush up your knowledge including Young Carers rights. Young Carers Alliance – Carers Trust
• Look up your local young carers service on this postcode checker and find out about your local young carers service Find Your Local Young Carer Service | The Children’s Society (childrenssociety.org.uk)
• Read NHS England » Young Carers Action Day – How can you support young carers?

identification-practice-of-young-carers-in-england-review-tips-and-tools.pdf

• Watch Bing Videos
• Check out the links in this blog
• Follow us @TheQNI @firogers3

There is a common theme in this journey from school corridors to international conferences; working in a team, working together, collaborating, coproduction, systemwide, partnership working not just as professionals but with the people we serve – the Young Carers, Young Adult Carers and their families; listening to their lived experience, acting on their words, providing opportunities and ensuring we do this through a trauma informed lens.

We all have our own individual reasons to be passionate about a cause and mine is young carers, but together we are a force.