PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Children: Carers (15 January 2019)

The government is committed to supporting young carers - to improve their health and wellbeing, and to protect them from excessive or inappropriate caring responsibilities. Since April 2015, all young carers are entitled to an assessment of their needs for support, under Section 17 of the Children Act (1989).

The ‘carers action plan’, a two-year programme of tailored work to support unpaid carers of all ages, aims to improve the identification of young carers; improving their educational opportunities and outcomes; providing support to young carers, particularly to vulnerable children; and improving access to services. The plan can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/carers-action-plan-2018-to-2020.

In December 2016 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published the guidelines ‘End of life care for infants, children and young people with life-limiting conditions: planning and management’. The guidance emphasises the need to be aware that siblings will need support to cope with: their brother's or sister's condition and death, and the effects of their parents' or carers' grieving. This may include social, practical, psychological and spiritual support. The guidance can be viewed here: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng61.

The Department for Education provides schools with £2.4 billion each year in additional funding through the pupil premium to support disadvantaged pupils; each eligible pupil attracts £1,320 to primary schools and £935 to secondary schools. Eligibility for the pupil premium is based largely on current or past claims for free school meals. Some research with young carers aged 14 to 16 suggested that around 60% already attract the pupil premium through their eligibility for free school meals.

We expect schools to make effective use of their pupil premium and do not tell them how to use it - schools know their pupils best and will spend the grant to meet pupil needs, which may include needs arising from a caring role. Schools are held to account for their pupil premium use through school inspection and information in performance tables, and most schools are required to publish details about their pupil premium strategy and its impact.