Interview: Care for the carers - Karen Mustard, project manager, Princess Royal Trust for Carers

Karen Mustard, project manager at the trust, says parents with drug or alcohol problems are scared to confess to their condition. "It's difficult with mental health or substance misuse because of the stigma attached, so a parent is reluctant to admit they have a problem because they think if someone in the statutory services finds out, the child will be taken away," she says.

"We know that's very unlikely to happen. But it stops people accessing support. As a project we have to have parental consent for young people to be involved. Otherwise they can't join the group."

She adds: "We may receive a referral from social services or a voluntary organisation. The parent doesn't admit there is anything wrong, but their child may need support."

The key, she says, is to remain in touch with the family and get a child involved in a occasional activities: "We continue to send information about activities we're running. If we organise a trip to an amusement park a parent may let their child go for a one-off. Once we have made initial links, at that stage we can explain that we're not trying to interfere with the family and are purely here for support."

But it's not just the parents who have to admit they are taking on the role of a carer in the home, Mustard says: "Young people don't see themselves as carers. They see themselves as sons or daughters, brothers or sisters doing what they should do."

The project in Windsor and Maidenhead has been running for just over a year. It is one of 83 young carers services run by the trust across England, helping more than 15,500 young people. In Windsor alone it helped 38 carers during its first year.

As well as providing support, the project also tries to help young carers have fun: "We set up activities where these young people can see others who understand what it's like being a young carer. We also try to organise activities where the young people can go out and have fun, which is what young carers miss out on."

Schools have been identified as a key place to get in touch with young carers. The new young carers development co-ordinator for the borough, a post currently being recruited will make them one of their first ports of call (CYP Now, 20-26 February).

"We need someone to go into schools to raise awareness, speak in assemblies and talk to staff to get them engaged," says Mustard.

Another priority area is assessments for young carers: "The majority of young carers should be assessed by their local authority. The co-ordinator will be working with the local authority teams to find out why young carers' assessments are not taking place and look at how to improve the situation."

The trust has developed a national young carers' charter, which Mustard hopes it will be able to adapt to use locally.

"It states clearly what young people believe their rights are. Young carers want to be children as well as carers. They want help and they want a good education. Many young carers miss school, which impacts on their qualifications and then on their careers.

"During the first year the co-ordinator will be talking to schools to see what they think of the charter. The first stage will be to talk to the young carers to see if it reflects how they feel and if it is what they want."

Mustard adds: "It's quite an exciting time in terms of support for young carers because I think we have realised, as an organisation that's been helping provide some of the existing activities, what problems there have been and how much more we can be doing."

BACKGROUND - YOUNG CARERS

- A young carer is a child under 18 providing support to a family member who is affected by illness or disability

- The Children's Plan says children's and adult services should ensure the child's life is not unnecessarily restricted

- The Department for Children, Schools and Families is to pilot the Family Pathfinders and Extended Pathfinders for Young Carers project for three years from April 2008

- It will look at improving co-ordination between adult and children's services to support families and build on learning from family-based services such as the Family Intervention Projects.