How many carers of palliative care patients are under 18? How many under 18s are helping with care, even if they are not the main carer? You don’t know?

We ought to be making special efforts to help those young carers in their families. St C’s groups for young carers are much appreciated by the youngsters and other family members too.

I am reminded of this by the government’s ‘think family’ toolkit, a series of guidance and advice notes about thinking about engaging with the whole family if you;re working with one individual. Its young carers section points to the Children’s Society young carers project and young carers net at the Princess Royal Trust fro Carera.

Think Family:

http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DCSF-00685-2009&

Young carers project:
http://www.youngcarer.com/showPage.php?file=index.htm

Young carers net:
http://www.youngcarers.net/

There’s a resources guide on working with young carers from the Children’s Society and the Princess Royal Trust:
http://www.youngcarer.com/pdfs/MAKING%20IT%20WORK%20Vol%202.pdf