Agenda item

12.40

In 2016 the Health Inequalities Commission was sponsored by Oxfordshire’s Health and Wellbeing Board to review the current state of health inequalities in the county and make recommendations for their reduction. In its report the Commission emphasised the significant impact that older carers have on the lives of those they care for and the positive contribution they make to the economy, but also how, all too often, they do not get the practical and emotional support they need. It acknowledged the importance of providing older carers with the very best support to help them in their caring role, but did not make the same reference to young carers or highlight the inequalities they face.

Whilst reviewing the Council’s progress on implementing the Commission’s recommendations the Performance Scrutiny Committee raised concerns about this. In response, a deep dive group was established to uncover the many hidden issues faced by young carers, and understand how they are identified and supported across Oxfordshire.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

a)            Ask the Cabinet to explore ways of funding the unique support to young carers provided by Be Free Young Carers.

b)           Support the development of good quality, evidence-based targeted group therapeutic work for young carers within the Young Carers Service.

c)            Review the impact of moving the Young Carers Service into the Family Solutions Service in 12 months’ time.

d)           Ask the Cabinet to review and improve the timescales for completing statutory young carers’ assessments and delivering support.

e)            There are examples of good in identifying and supporting young carers practice in some schools, e.g. opportunities for young carers to complete homework on school premises. This good practice needs to be recognised, captured and shared.

f)             Invite the Regional Schools Commissioner to make it a requirement for schools to their staff to identify where a child may be undertaking a caring role, the impact of that responsibility, and to understand what support is available to minimise the impact.

g)           Ask the Education Scrutiny Committee to review the measures used by Ofsted to assess the standard of support delivered to young carers as vulnerable learners, and to scrutinise the effectiveness of this regulatory oversight.

h)           Ask the Education Scrutiny Committee the scrutinise the range, quality and impact of pastoral care across Oxfordshire schools and colleges, particularly in relation to young carers.

i)             Ask the Education Scrutiny Committee working group focused on rates of school attendance to give specific attention to young carers, as a cohort at particular risk.

j)             Ensure Oxfordshire’s health and social care system specifically considers the impact of its drive to deliver more community-based care on young carers and ask the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to review this as part of its scrutiny of transformational change across the system.

k)            Ask the Council to establish a Young Carers Councillor Champion to help people understand the needs of young carers and promote the identification and support of young carers.

l)             Review progress against these recommendations in 12 months’ time.

Councillor Nick Carter introduced the report and thanked Katie Read, Senior Policy Officer, for her work in bringing it together.

The Chairman put the report’s recommendations individually to the Committee:

Recommendations a) to e): agreed.

Recommendation f): it was agreed to write to the Schools’ Forum and the Governors’ Forum instead of the Regional Schools Commissioner

Recommendations g) to l): agreed

Councillor Glynis Phillips stated that the group never got to talk to young carers themselves but that they are committed to doing that.

RESOLVED: to

a)            Ask the Cabinet to explore ways of funding the unique support to young carers provided by Be Free Young Carers.

b)           Support the development of good quality, evidence-based targeted group therapeutic work for young carers within the Young Carers Service.

c)            Review the impact of moving the Young Carers Service into the Family Solutions Service in 12 months’ time.

d)           Ask the Cabinet to review and improve the timescales for completing statutory young carers’ assessments and delivering support.

e)            There are examples of good in identifying and supporting young carers practice in some schools, e.g. opportunities for young carers to complete homework on school premises. This good practice needs to be recognised, captured and shared.

f)             Invite the Schools’ Forum and Governors’ Forum to make it a requirement for schools to their staff to identify where a child may be undertaking a caring role, the impact of that responsibility, and to understand what support is available to minimise the impact.

g)           Ask the Education Scrutiny Committee to review the measures used by Ofsted to assess the standard of support delivered to young carers as vulnerable learners, and to scrutinise the effectiveness of this regulatory oversight.

h)           Ask the Education Scrutiny Committee the scrutinise the range, quality and impact of pastoral care across Oxfordshire schools and colleges, particularly in relation to young carers.

i)             Ask the Education Scrutiny Committee working group focused on rates of school attendance to give specific attention to young carers, as a cohort at particular risk.

j)             Ensure Oxfordshire’s health and social care system specifically considers the impact of its drive to deliver more community-based care on young carers and ask the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to review this as part of its scrutiny of transformational change across the system.

k)            Ask the Council to establish a Young Carers Councillor Champion to help people understand the needs of young carers and promote the identification and support of young carers.

l)             Review progress against these recommendations in 12 months’ time.