This report considers the opinions and experiences of children and young people identified as ‘young carers’ in the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan regions of South Wales as they relate to the main aims of the Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010.
Overview
The Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010 issued revised guidance to Local Health Boards, NHS Trusts and Local Authorities regarding their support of and engagement with adult and young carers. Acknowledging the significant population size and value to the health and wellbeing of local communities, the legislation set out new aims for the relevant bodies in relation to their support and empowerment of carers. Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Local Councils developed five programmes of action to work with carers in their region in fulfilling these aims, and each of these relate to a section of the data reported here:
- Partnership working – a partnership framework to ensure that the Health Board, Local
Councils and the third sector work together to support carers - Awareness raising – an awareness raising framework, to ensure that everyone who needs to
be is “carer aware” - Education and training framework – to ensure that the training needs of healthcare staff
and carers are identified and met - Information framework – to ensure that all carers are provided with appropriate information
at all stages of their caring pathway - Carers pathway – to identify the information and support health services can provide to
people throughout their time as a carer
Young carers are identified in the legislation as a group with specific needs requiring focused
attention. The survey discussed in this report was designed by the above Local Councils in
consultation with an advisory board of young carers to identify these needs and to inform the
ongoing ‘Partners in Care’ collaboration between Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
Activities and Methods
This report features a range of data sources. The primary source is the results from an online survey designed by the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Councils in consultation with young carers.
Further qualitative data was produced during the course of the ‘Young Carers Speak Out’ event in Cardiff on the 31st March 2016. This event was collaboratively organised by the YMCA, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, and the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Councils to provide respite and information to local young carers, and over 50 children and young people attended on the day. As part of the event, CASCADE designed and facilitated a variety of creative data-generation workshops that would provide the opportunity for the young carers to give their opinions and relate their personal experiences.
Findings
This section of the report presents the survey data obtained through the online survey and the creative workshops. It gives a broad overview of the experiences of young carers in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, and how they feel about the institutional and personal support and information offered to them in their caring role. It is structured in relation to the various sections of the survey.
Lead Person
| Principal Investigator | Dr. Jen Lyttleton-Smith |
Related Information
| Related Schools | Cardiff University |
| Funders | CASCADE: Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre |
| Related publications | Young Carers Speak Out! Final Report |