Making it Real for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers
Surrey Young Carers (part of Action for Carers Surrey) works to identify and support Surrey’s many young carers. Working with the NHS, SCC and young carers themselves, we have developed a strategy which outlines young carers’ needs and concerns, and defines a way we should all work to help them reach their full potential.
Strategic Priorities
Working with Surrey Young Carers, Surrey’s health and social care professionals commit to:
- Supporting the identification/recognition and registration of young carers in all organisations, including primary care
- Ensuring all young carers have their care needs assessed, and receive an integrated package of support in order to maintain and/or improve their physical/mental health
- Empowering young carers to make choices about their caring role, access appropriate services, and support for them and the person they care for
- Ensuring all staff are aware of young carers’ needs and their value to our communities
- Respecting and listening to young carers as ‘experts by experience’, and actively involve them in care planning and shared decision making
- Identifying key transition points early
- Identifying, supporting and protecting young carers from ‘inappropriate care’
Time for Kids
As part of the Surrey Children’s Services system, the Time for Kids principles are being embedded into all practice and service delivery, including ours.
The five key strands of Time for Kids are:
- Believe (in what they can achieve)
- Belong (give children a sense of belonging and encourage them to shine)
- Hope (encourage children to tell their story and learn hope)
- Trust (provide children with a consistent relationship with at least one adult they trust)
- Connect (be crazy about the kid)
Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy
The Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy for children and young people in Surrey has three main focuses:
- Making children and young people’s mental health a shared priority
- Focusing on and investing in earlier intervention and prevention
- Delivering specialist support differently
The pandemic impacted on the number of children and young people that experienced poor emotional health and wellbeing. This has impacted young carers, who already experience disparities with their peers in relation to emotional wellbeing and mental health, which can be linked to isolation and the sense of responsibility that children may feel.
Children’s Services is using the THRIVE Framework to embed system change when responding to the emotional wellbeing and mental health support needs of children and young people. THRIVE emphasises giving children and young people a central voice in decisions about their care and support. It aims to provide the support that children and young people want and need, where they want and need it, and in a way which best suits them.
Why support matters
Things have improved for me lately because one of the teachers has taken an interest and asked me how things were at home. I felt better once I told him, and I know he understands and will speak up for me if I get into trouble with homework or am late.
