Young carers facing lonely summer, warn charities
Nina Jacobs
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Young carers experience greater levels of stress and loneliness during the summer holidays with nearly half of them spending more than four hours a day caring for a relative, a study has found.
The research, published by Action for Children and Carers Trust which surveyed 270 young carers in June and July, found the time they spent at home performing caring duties was the equivalent of losing a week of their holidays.
The study revealed one in five young carers had never been on a summer holiday with their family, a finding the charities called "shocking".
Nearly three quarters felt lonely during their summer break, while 68 per cent felt more stressed or worried while being off from school. In addition, 57 per cent said they worried about talking about what they did in the summer break when they returned to school.
The charities are calling on the government to ensure local authorities have sufficient funding to provide young carers and their families with support.
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Carol Iddon, Action for Children managing director of children's services, said the summer holidays could be "heart-breaking" for young carers who are often isolated and trapped at home while their friends enjoyed playing outside and holidays.
"We see first-hand the awful impact of loneliness and stress on young carers, who dedicated their lives to helping their loved ones.
"These children are often desperate for a break from their duties and to have a bit of fun in their holidays which is why young carer respite services are such a lifeline for them," she said.
Giles Meyer, chief executive of Carers Trust, said too many young carers went without support over the holidays and being a young carer was a risk factor for their mental health.
"If local councils don't step in, this can mean young carers need to do more caring over the summer," he said.
Anntoinette Bramble, chair of the Local Government Association's children and young people board, said young carers often faced significant challenges which continued throughout the summer holidays.
"Councils work hard to make sure young carers are able to access the support they need, however with children's services facing a £3 billion funding gap by 2025 and enormous challenges in the adult social care sector too, this is getting increasingly difficult," she said.
