Ewan Main from the Princess Royal Trust for Carers wants schools to haveyoung carers policies and Kidscape's Nikki Kerr calls for anti-bullyingto be a core part of teacher training.
PROPOSAL 1 - Every school must have a written young carers policy
One of the things young carers say would make the biggest difference totheir lives is consistent treatment at school that recognises theirneeds and enables them to have the same educational opportunities asothers.
Often, small adjustments could make a big difference: a flexibleattitude towards lateness; the occasional extended deadline; or allowinga young carer to use the phone to check on a parent now and then. Suchadjustments can mean that unauthorised absences might not become such anissue. While many schools are extremely understanding towards individualyoung carers, sadly the effect of this can be undone when a young personreceives inconsistent treatment as they progress through or changeschool. Finally, there are still families who do not accept support fromsocial care services, leaving the young carers in the family potentiallyunidentified; a coherent policy within schools could address this.
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