The Rotary Club of Newport Uskmouth

1. The Rotary Club of Newport Uskmouth The logo you are now viewing is very clear. It shows a child’s hand reaching down to help an adult, for that is precisely what YoungCarersdo. A YoungCarer is a child who has a daily responsibility helping to care for someone who is Ill, seriously ill, disabled, disadvantaged or a combination of these things. Click for next slide

2. In the census taken in 2001 there were identified in the United Kingdom 174,000 YoungCarers, and even if this figure was accurate there would be an unanswerable case for helping, However The Princess Royal’s Trust for Carer’s and Bernardo’s believe this figure to be a gross under-estimate. These organisations, which both work with YoungCarersbelieve that a truer figure is 4 – 500,000. Many adults do not recognise their children as YoungCarers and even more are afraid to make the fact public knowledge for fear that statutory authorities will intervene, split up the family and put the children into care. 500,000 Click for next slide

3. The 2001 census also identified that there were a significant number of YoungCarers who were working 50 hours or more per week discharging their caring responsibilities. That is over and above what they have to do as children, which includes going to school, these youngsters are working what most people would consider to be an extended working week. Research indicates that there are 37,000 schoolchildren who have this workload, and that up to 10,000 of them are still in junior school. They are 11 or under. 50 hours or more Click for next slide

4. Young Carers suffer social exclusion and prejudice their education. Often their caring responsibilities prevent them from having the freedom to socialise with their peers and to enjoy the normal existence of a child. It also grossly restricts their ability to succeed at school. Often they are late or cannot attend, when they do attend their concentration is poor, and their caring roles can make completing the necessary homework extremely difficult, if not impossible. Even if they manage to succeed in school many of them cannot consider leaving home to further their education whilst their caring roles continue. Many also suffer ill health through the strain of their caring responsibilities Some of the Consequences Click for next slide

5. As well as the activities which most people would consider normal for a child, such as helping with the shopping or cleaning the house, Young Carers also give medication and carry out toileting. Example 1. A seven year old boy has an alcoholic mother and a schizophrenic father and if he does not give his father his medication then his father becomes violent. Example 2 An eleven year old lad and his twin ten year old brothers have a self imposed rota to stay up until 2or 3 or 4 in the morning with their single parent mother. If they don’t she self harms. As a 12 year old girl put it; “I don’t mind helping my father, I just don’t want to always be helping him”. Lifestyles Click for next slide

6. Example Three Jane is 13 and lives with her Mum, Dad and 11year old sister Jo.Jane’s story in her own words “ I usually get up at 6.30 in the morning. One of the first things I do is to get my dad his tablets. He’s schizophrenic and it’s really important that he takes his medication. I make sure Mum is O.K. and sometimes I have to give her painkillers and coffee – she’s got Crones Disease, Epilepsy and Asthma. I get my sister ready, make the breakfast and then catch the bus to school. I sometimes forget where we are up to in class and panic in case the teacher asks me a question. If I haven’t done my homework I try to explain that it’s because I was looking after my Mum and Dad but not all the teachers understand – they think it is just an excuse. I think I could do a lot better in school if I wasn’t tired and worried all the time. When I was with respite foster parents, I could do my work at school because Mum and Dad were taken care of. After school I feel really tired and sometimes I nearly fall asleep on the bus. When I get home I might watch a bit of TV but then I have to get tea, maybe do some housework and get some shopping – just bread and milk, that sort of thing, because I usually do the proper shopping on a Sunday morning.  I have to remind my Dad to take his tablets and look after my Mum, play with Jo, and then try and do some homework. My friends are the most important things to me, but me and Jo don’t play out much. We get picked on and kids call us horrible names because they know our Mum and Dad have problems. I do have some friends at school but I’ve nobody to take me to see them. I am frightened of losing my friends, especially when they invite me out to places and I can’t go because I can’t leave my parents. Also it’s not easy to have friends at my house because there is nobody to take them home. They think I’m always letting them down and this worries me.  The only friends that do understand my life are at Blessings Young Carers project. I’ve been going to Blessings Young CarersGroup every Thursday night for 3 years and it’s great. The kids understand what it’s like at home and the helpers are really nice and you get to go to places you wouldn’t normally go. My Mum is usually in bed by 7.30 but I have to wait for my Dad to go to bed – or put him to bed myself. I can’t leave him because his tablets make him so sleepy that he sometimes leaves the fire or the cooker on. He might even light a cigarette and drop it so I stay up between 10 and midnight. The hardest thing is when we go to bed – not knowing what it’s going to be like. It’s the time when Dad is most ill and it’s scary because he sometimes does strange things. Sometimes he gets angry for no reason and starts shouting and then my Mum gets upset and Jo gets scared and cries. I’m scared too, but I don’t cry. The worst thing is feeling tired all the time and not being able to see my friends. The last time we had respite was when I was 7 and Jo was 5. I’d like to have a break soon because I can be a normal child and play out.” Click for next slide

7. The Children’s Act states; “Young Carers should not be expected to carry inappropriate levels of caring which can have an adverse impact upon their development or life chances.” Which begs the question; What is an appropriate level of caring for a child? YoungCarers are ordinary children who find themselves in extraordinary situations and struggle on a daily basis to cope with the demands put upon them. They come from ALL social and ALL cultural backgrounds and they live in cities,suburbs and country villages Our children should not have to choose between being YoungCarers and having a childhood. Click for next slide

8. Three aims: 1. Sharing the idea 2.Vocational Aspects 3. ‘a bit of Joy’ We are making public our ongoing project in the hope that other Rotarians, and non Rotarians will offer to help the YoungCarerswithin their own communities. We want other people to join in, and if we can help, we will. You can help by using all the knowledge at your disposal to give advice to these wonderful children which may allow them a better chance at a well earned successful adulthood. You can also instigate events to which you can take YoungCarersso that they can have respite from their caring roles and also have a ‘bit of joy’. Click for next slide

9. Events do not have to be expensive or highly organised. Often when the situation is explained companies will give their facilities for free. Anything you can organise which gives these fabulous kids a rest from their caring roles will be worthwhile for you and very welcome by the children Click for next slide

10. WHY WE HELP YOUNG CARERS. Ben gets up in the morning, gets himself dressed, then gets his father out of bed and gets his father dressed. They go downstairs and Ben gets the breakfast. After breakfast he gets himself ready and takes himself off to school. When he returns from school they have a bit of time together and then Ben gets the supper, they have a bit more time together and then Ben helps his father upstairs and puts him to bed. He then comes back downstairs and cleans up the ‘mess of the day’ and settles down to do his homework. When he wakes up 2 or 3 hours later, usually with his head in his homework and goes upstairs to bed he can be sure that tomorrow will be the same. Ben’s dad is a single parent and has multiple sclerosis, Ben has been his carer for 4 years. He is now just 12 and every day for the last 4 years has been exactly the same. And 12 is the average age for a Young Carer My name is BEN Click for next slide

11. There are 248 YoungCarers projects within the UK and it is through these that we must work. They are very willing to accept help in almost any form, all you have to do is contact them and offer. You can find your nearest project or further information; from your local social services department Through www. yci Or by emailing Paul Stephens with your details. Identifying your local YoungCarers Return to start