As part of Carers Week 2016, which took place last week, schools have once again been urged to do more to identify and support their young carers.
The 2011 Census shows that there are more than 166,000 young carers in England, but separate research carried out by the BBC suggests that the actual figure is closer to 700,000 – equivalent to one in 12 school children.
A wealth of research shows the negative impact that caring roles can have on young people. A quarter of young carers are bullied because of their caring role while young carers often have lower levels of self-confidence, mental wellbeing and significantly lower educational attainment at GCSE level. They are also more likely to become NEET.
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