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Young Carers Training Event
Banks Stadium
Monday February 4th 2008
“Young but not carefree”
The event held in partnership with Education Walsall and Walsall Council was to highlight and raise the profile and increase support to Young Carers in Walsall. They are notoriously a well hidden group of children and young people, and we are looking to widen the awareness of young carer’s issues, increase our combined ability to identify them and increase the range of support on offer to them. Obviously schools have a crucial part to play in this and we are requesting that each school in Walsall identifies one member of staff to become a designated teacher for young carers at your school.
Part of the event was for delegates to identify what they believed the role of a designated teacher for young carers might be within their school. All the responses have been collated and amalgamated into the brief below for what the “role of the designated teacher” could be and what it could cover. It is entirely a matter for each individual school themselves as to how the brief can be interpreted within their establishment or how the role can be linked into existing staffing structures.
Delegate Feedback
Role of the Designated Teacher
- Does it need to be a teacher? Could the designated person be a Learning Mentor or a Parent Support Advisor?
- To be the main point of contact for young carers to go to in school for support. A person known to young carers and fellow staff.
- Young carers are not just the responsibility of the designated teacher, but all staff has a shared responsibility.
- Identify young carers within the school.
- Develop a relationship with young carers.
- Identify support for the young carers who have been identified:-
- Signpost and refer if needed.
- Liaise and work closely with other pastoral staff, school staff.
- Identify support and links with young carers, parents and families.
- Liaison role, working closely with other agencies.
- Contact other professionals.
- Information point and highlight opportunities for support within the school e.g. Homework Club.
- To be a good listener and be approachable.
- To determine how practical skills can be taught to a young carer.
- Holder of information to pass onto students / parents / carers. Collation of data.
- To be able to advise young carers and staff.
- Familiarise yourself with support available i.e “The Young Carers Project based at St. Pauls Crossing and other supportive agencies.
- Raising awareness of young carers via assemblies, PSHE, SEAL etc.
- Ensuring information regarding young carers is known – Primary / Secondary transition.
- Good pastoral network with the school.
- Awareness training for staff, looking for signs of a child caring, including training for academic and pastoral staff. To be able to disseminate training and information.
- Be an advocate on behalf of young carers.
- If required co-ordinate a flexible individual plan for the child.
- To be aware of links with child concern, looked after children and safeguarding. N.B. Be very mindful that not all young carers require or fall into child concern, looked after children or the safeguarding remit.
- Be able to evidence that issues raised result in action.
- Being able to identify a way of measuring service user satisfaction annually.
- Being able to develop a code of practice, inclusion policy.
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