Solihull Sixth Form College is working with Carers Trust Solihull to ensure young people with caring responsibilities at home are supported and on Wednesday 15 March Sally Barton-Bodley from the organisation was in College to mark Young Carers Action Day.
The organisation offer an invaluable service to young people up to the age of 25, including the young adult carers we have at the College. These young people are not only trying to keep on top of their studies, they are also caring for family at home because of long-term illness or disability. Carers Trust Solihull aims to ensure that these students are not disadvantaged, as caring responsibilities can have an impact on attendance and achievement, as well as causing financial and mental health worries.
The College has a dedicated member of staff working with our Young Adult Carers, ensuring they are supported in College and signposted to external agencies like Carers Trust Solihull. Services that are offered include 1-to-1 and group support sessions, peer mentoring, small grant support, training workshops to plan for the future, and respite sessions which allow young people some time to socialise with other people in the same position.
Academic Coach and Young Carers Lead Amy Flower commented:
“At Solihull Sixth Form College we work hard to make sure that young people with caring responsibilities at home are supported, but learners are only with us for two years and organisations like Carers Trust Solihull ensure that the support can continue once they leave College and move onto the next chapter of their life.”
Sally Barton-Bodley from Carers Trust Solihull added:
“Children and young adults spend a large amount of time outside of home in education settings. It is vital that schools and colleges recognise who they are, the impact of caring and provide appropriate support to allow equality of opportunity afforded to their non-caring peers. Our partnership work with Solihull Sixth Form College has ensured that students with caring responsibilities are identified early, supported throughout their college experience and referred to specialist services such as ours for ongoing assistance outside of education.”
The young adult carers at the College have also benefited from the support of the YMCA in Sutton Coldfield this year.
20 March 2023