Labour Councillor Stephen Hickman has proposed a motion to Harrow Council to introduce a package of support measures for young carers, gaining unanimous approval across the chamber.
The motion commits Harrow Council to several actions, including signing up to the Young Carer’s Covenant, ensuring the education of young carers is protected, seeking additional funding from various sources, and collaborating with local charities and organisations. These steps aim to raise awareness of the challenges faced by young carers and improve their opportunities.
A young carer is defined as someone under 18 who has responsibilities for looking after a family member. National statistics reveal that one in four young people in the UK are young carers, with one in three reporting stress due to their responsibilities. On average, young carers miss over 23 days of school annually, impacting their education and making them 38% less likely to attend university compared to their peers.
Councillor Hickman’s motion aims to address these challenges by increasing awareness and encouraging young carers and their families to seek support from schools and the Council. Many young carers do not identify themselves as such, and the motion highlights the importance of recognising and addressing their unique circumstances.
Cllr Stephen Hickman, Shadow Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, said: “It is important that we use our role as Councillors to shine a light on the challenges that our residents are facing and bring our truths to this chamber.
“As a teacher, I have worked with so many young carers and been in awe of how our young people manage to combine the challenges of being young with all the responsibilities of being an adult.
“It was good to have cross-party support on this motion, and that it was passed unanimously, and I look forward to more collaboration on issues surrounding children and young people in the future.”
The motion was seconded by Cllr Hitesh Karia, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, who said: “It was a privilege to second and speak about this very important motion. We must do everything that we can to support young carers as too many children and young people lose out on opportunities due to their caring responsibilities.
“The Council already has a number of schemes and protections in place to support Harrow’s young carers, but this motion has rightly focussed everyone’s mind on this vital issue and will encourage the Council to do even more to support our young carers.
“It was moving to hear deeply personal and emotional contributions from fellow Councillors about some of their residents’ experiences as young carers.
“I was also pleased that there was cross-party consensus on this issue and demonstrates how all of Harrow’s Councillors are committed to improving the circumstances many young carers find themselves in and the introduction of an annual report will enable us to monitor and continue to improve our services in terms of the local offer from Harrow to our young carers, as well as ensure that their voice is incorporated into evolving and shaping our services into the future.”
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