Issue - meetings

Report of the Corporate Director for Resilience

Helen Blackman (Director Children’s Integrated Services), Tajinder Madahar (Head of Service Children’s Duty Team and Targeted Services), Rob Gardiner and Rosaleen Lynch (Carers Federation Action for Young Carers), Sara-Jane Brighouse ( Project Manager), and Sue Taylor (Locality Manager) gave a combined presentation from a range of services working together for young carers, highlighting the following points:

(a)  the law changed for young carers from April 2015. If the young carer or their parents request an assessment, or it is identified that a young carer is negatively affected by their caring role, then local authorities must ensure that a “Young Carer’s needs assessment” is carried out to decide what type of help the young carer and their family might need;

(b)  this affects both Children’s and Adult services. A ‘think family’ approach is taken, with an Interim Joint Protocol developed by the Children & Adults department and the Carers Federation- Action for Young Carers;

(c)  the joint protocol ensures there is responsibility for providing services to young carers regardless of who they care for, what care they provide, and how often they provide care. The needs assessment assesses what type of support they might need, with an aim of preventing crisis situations. The joint protocol has been drafted and presented to Children and Adults as well as to the Children's Partnership Board;

(d)  the main commissioned provider of support services to young carers is the Carers Federation - Action for Young Carers (AYC), who are commissioned to provide the service until March 2017. They engage with young carers aged 5 -18 years, and work closely with Explore Families, supporting families where there are issues of substance and alcohol misuse;

(e)  there is joint working between Nottingham City Children and Adults & AYC, to tackle issues and impact on young carers, engage with and support young carers, offer a range of support provisions, and seek feedback on the impact of that service provision;

(f)  the assessment is in terms of the whole family, what is causing the child to fulfil the caring role? Are there any dangerous or inappropriate activities that need tackling with family? Does the Adult Social Care team need to assist? Etc. As well as identifying the needs of the individual being cared for, the assessment looks at the impact on the young carer. Often carers as young as 6 or 7 are in charge of dispending medication, or other inappropriate support. The assessment also looks at the impact on their education and their health. For example, young carers are less likely to engage in dental care than the average child, as going to the dentist gets lost in amongst the daily care routine;

(g)  a key part of the work is to develop assessments and work out what support both the cared for and carer need. There is often intense activity is in first 2 or 3 months of working with young carers, then ongoing support at a lower level. Assessments have to be accurate from the start;

(h)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12