Wednesday 13th March 2024 was Young Carers Action day, and this year the theme was fair futures for young carers which focussed on why caring should not be a barrier to learning, earning or being able to get on in life – but for many, it is.

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On Thursday 15th June 2023, Blackpool Carers Centre hosted the highly anticipated Children Who Care Too Conference at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool. The event brought together professionals, educators, and community members to shine a spotlight on the experiences and needs of young carers. With esteemed speakers and insightful discussions, the conference served as a platform to raise awareness, share knowledge, and strengthen support for young carers.

The conference commenced with an enlightening keynote address by Professor Saul Becker, a renowned expert in young carers’ research and the President of Blackpool Carers Centre.  Professor Becker delved into the unique challenges faced by young carers, highlighting the importance of recognising their invaluable contributions and addressing their specific needs. His passionate advocacy for effective young carers support resonated deeply with the audience, setting the tone for the impactful discussions that followed. Professor Becker was able to provide a clear view of the number of young carers nationally and internationally as well as the differing levels of support and recognition on offer in various localities.

Tom McMurdo, Director of Finance and Resources at Blackpool Carers Centre, provided vital information on the current landscape of young carers in Blackpool. Sharing the unique challenges in Blackpool and the numbers of young carers in the town; he was able to bring the national and international picture into sharp focus locally. Tom showed the stark disparity between the numbers of young carers in Blackpool according to different sources, with the number identified through the recent School Census around 20x lower than the number in contact with the service.

The conference also provided an opportunity for Sarah Dunn, Child Protection and Attendance Officer and Susan Sayers, Family Engagement Officer at Layton School to share their experiences of working in collaboration with Blackpool Carers Centre to support young carers within the school setting. They highlighted the positive impact of providing targeted interventions, such as support groups, to ensure young carers feel understood, validated, and equipped with the tools to succeed both academically and emotionally.

After a rather exceptional lunch, delegates were afforded the opportunity to visit a variety of workshops with the young carers team. These workshops focused on Impact, the Family Focus Project and the identification of young carers, providing attendees a holistic view of the model of support employed by Blackpool Carers Centre.

The final speaker of the day was Suzanne Robertson, Service Manager Early Help & Support Services at Blackpool Council. Suzanne discussed the general priorities of Early Help and the recent introduction within their team of a co-located Link Worker from Blackpool Carers Centre. This commitment signifies their recognition of the vital role these link workers play in providing essential support and guidance to young carers and their families. The link worker’s presence will undoubtedly strengthen the network of support available and enable early intervention to mitigate the potential long-term consequences of caring responsibilities.

The Children Who Care Too conference was a resounding success, bringing together passionate individuals dedicated to improving the lives of young carers in Blackpool and across the country.

Through events like this, Blackpool Carers Centre continues to foster partnerships, raise awareness, and advocate for policy changes that enhance the lives of young carers. With a renewed sense of purpose and a strengthened network of support, we can collectively ensure that young carers receive the recognition, understanding, and resources they deserve to thrive in their caring roles and beyond.

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Big smiles all round, great memories made and new friendships blossoming!

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BBC Children in Need kindly donate to our Young Carers project to support many Young Carers in Blackpool, just like Tia.

Tia says “If anything was to happen to Toby, I could always rely on the carers’ centre to be able to support me,”.

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Results will be used to:

• Help influence decision makers like the government.
• Highlight the needs of young carers and young adult carers in the media and on social media.
• Help to think of and fund new ways of supporting young carers and young adult carers.

It’s easy, anonymous, and only takes around five minutes to complete. The closing date is 5 July 2021.

CLICK HERE to complete the survey.

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This essential service ensures that children who are providing care to loved ones are able to access time away from their caring roles; time to be children, make friends, relax and have new experiences through activity days and residentials.

Being a carer is no easy task, whatever your age, but being a young person with limited scope for socialising, developing a sense of self outside of caring and dealing with the many crisis situations that caring can bring can present significant problems in childhood without the right support in place.

Funding from the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust ensures that our doors remain open for children and young people who need us the most.

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This broadcast is the first in a series of Blackpool Carers’ monthly podcasts titled “Who Cares; A Young Carers podcast.”

CLICK HERE to listen.

Each monthly episode will see a group of young and young adult carers from Blackpool Carers, along with a special guest, discuss topics relevant to being a young person with a caring role.

Future Podcast release dates are:

• 13th April
• 11th May
• 8th June
• 6th July
• 3rd August

Themes include “Stigmas attached to being a young / young adult carer”, “Future aspirations and barriers faced as a young/young adult carer” and “Resilience”.

Our podcasts aim to raise awareness of young and young adult carers including the challenges they face and how, by working together, we can help to make a better life for carers.

The whole series of podcasts will be hosted on Podbean https://www.podbean.com/ , a wide reaching national podcasting platform alongside being posted on our various social media platforms and our website.

So make sure you give it a listen for what is sure to be an interesting conversation.

What is Young Carers Action Day?

Young Carers Action Day (YCAD) is an annual event, organised by Carers Trust.

It has taken place over the last six years to raise awareness of young carers and the incredible contribution they make to their families and local communities.

Until now, YCAD stood for Young Carers Awareness Day. But following feedback from young carers, Carers Trust have made some changes, including the name!

They had some great conversations with young/young adult carers who said they wanted the day to be about their futures, highlighting the incredible skills they have developed through being a carer – like resilience, time-management and empathy.

These are all important skills, not just for young people moving into higher education  – but also for those looking to enter the workplace. What’s more, they are skills highly sought after by employers.

So YCAD 2021 is all about young carers’ futures with the theme of Protect Young Carers’ Futures.

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