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Young carers come to Westminster

Carers Trust

3 min read Partner content

A group of young carers will meet with government ministers today to discuss how new laws will benefit them.

More than 30 young carers will meet Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson and Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb to discuss how best the changes to the Children and Families Bill and Care Bill can be implemented.

Thea Stein, chief executive of Carers Trust, which chairs the National Young Carers Coalition, said: “This historic change for young carers has been brought about as a direct result of the coalition’s campaign. Now we want to see these changes take effect.”

The two pieces of legislation, which are due to come into force this spring, give the 166,000 children in England who look after their parents, siblings and family members stronger rights to an assessment and support.

The new measures mean that when a child is identified as a young carer, the needs of everyone in the family will be considered.

This will trigger both children’s and adults’ support services into action – assessing why a child is caring, what needs to change and what would help the family to prevent children from taking on this responsibility in the first place.

Edward Timpson MP, Children and Families Minister, said:

“Young carers selflessly provide support around the clock for the people they love – often overlooking their own needs and missing out on things their friends take for granted.

“We’ve put in place a much stronger and more consistent system that gives young carers the support they need - protecting them from excessive or inappropriate caring responsibilities and allowing them to enjoy their childhood. They deserve nothing less.”

Norman Lamb, Care and Support Minister, said:

“Young carers give their time and energy to support family members and friends. We want to make sure they are supported and do not take on inappropriate or excessive caring responsibilities.

“That’s why we are introducing new measures through both the Care Bill and the Children and Families Bill so that young carers are considered in the assessment of the person they are caring for and are given a right to their own assessment for support, regardless of the amount or type of care they provide.”

The National Young Carers Coalition said local authorities, the NHS, schools and colleges will need to commit to improving support for young carers, while services for children and adults need to agree how to work together so that so the whole family gets the support it needs.

MPs and Peers who supported the campaign will also attend the National Young Carers Coalition event, hosted by MPs Barbara Keeley, Robert Buckland and Paul Burstow.

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