A conference to raise awareness of young carers and the issues that affect their lives every day was held at the Villa Marina in Douglas.
Crossroads Care, marking its 25th year in the island, staged the conference, where delegates heard how every member of society had a responsibility to ensure that young carers are supported.
Speakers Karen Davies, children’s services officer at Crossroads Care, and Daniel Phelps, development and policy manager for young carers at the Carers’ Trust, addressed the conference about support in the island, identifying young carers and the UK situation around support for young carers and their rights in the UK.
Statistics drawn from local schools for the conference showed that 13 per cent of local children aged five to 13 are providing high and very high levels of care and 68 per cent of identified young carers are providing the same high level.
Global research into where the island places in terms of understanding young carers puts the island just above sub-Saharan Africa.
The conference was supported by a video of local young carers talking about their lives, hopes and aspirations and what would improve their situations.
The negative impact of caring included limited opportunities, feelings of exclusion, employment difficulties, health problems and a lack of understanding.
The carers who spoke in the film asked for simple things that we could all do that would improve their situations dramatically.
One young carer said: ‘I am late [to school] for a reason and teachers need to understand that. Emails have gone out explaining why I am late but they wonder how it can make me late. It really upsets me that they don’t care, I would like them to understand a lot more.
‘A lot of adults and teachers don’t know what it’s like here and that this thing exists. Teachers think it’s an excuse some of us have to be late or whatever and I think something should be done about it!’
Pledges from attending practitioners included listening more effectively to young people, looking for reasons for behaviour rather than being judgemental and supporting raising the profile of young carers.
Crossroads will be holding a second conference about adult carers at the Villa Marina, in Douglas, in September and are looking into a second showing of the young carers’ film for next month.
To find out more, contact the charity’s Alex Wilson on 673103.
