The Children’s Commissioner for England produced a report on the support provided to young carers in England in December 2016. The report highlighted that more than 160,000 children in England have formal caring responsibilities – and of these, 130,000 are missing out on support from local authorities.
Specifically:
- Approximately four out of five young carers may not be receiving support from their local authority;
- Just over a quarter of young carers have additional care needs of their own;
- There are young carers under the age of five years;
- Not all local authorities are taking steps to identify children who may be providing care in their area;
- 94% of children referred to the local authority as a potential young carer, who were deemed not to require support, had not received an assessment at all;
- The emphasis on identification and assessment in legislation may lead to support for young carers being overlooked; and
- Young carers want to enjoy their childhood and for services to listen to them and respect their views.