Publish date: 10 March 2025
The service has been working closely with Barnardo’s Action with Young Carers and is the first team within health care in Liverpool to achieve the new Young Carers Award. One in five children and young people have a caring role yet some wait more than 10 years to be identified and supported. Liverpool Young Carer’s Award was developed to support the implementation of ‘No Wrong Doors for Young Carers’ (NWD).
NWD provided a national template that’s been adapted to speak to local context and communities. NWD emphasises the importance of collaborative working to identify and support young carers. This guidance formed the basis for a model of review and support for health, education and community settings to identify young and young adult carers and work towards best practice.
The award, developed in consultation with young carers, sets out key standards that demonstrate the steps organisations are taking to meet their support needs and champion their rights. It seeks to recognise and celebrate good practice around identifying and supporting young carers across health, education and community settings, city wide. Taking this approach to understanding the needs of young carers enables staff to identify and support young carers early in health care, also preventing difficulties escalating where higher levels of support are needed.
Four key standards had to be met:
- A Young Carers Champion who is Jane Humphreys, Advanced Psychological Practitioner
- Adoption of Mersey Care’s Young Carers Policy with an additional young carers pathway within Step Forward
- Young Carers Awareness so all new staff are made aware of the carers/young carers pathway and the importance of recognising young carers. Regular team meetings take place to share updates on young carers and news or academic articles about young carers are shared regularly
- Staff Training is provided by Barnardo’s Action with Young Carers and a video is being made that will reinforce the messages.
For more information, please contact Jane