Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Young carers in need of support
With young carers experiencing high levels of anxiety and stress, Carers Trust Scotland is calling on the Scottish Government to urgently address the downward spiral in their mental health.
The body, which is part of Carers Trust – a major charity for, with and about carers – is demanding a new national action plan to protect the futures of children and young people with caring responsibilities.
Carers Trust Scotland says this plan is urgently needed to address a downward spiral in the mental health of young carers and the adverse impact this is having on their hopes for the future.
It wants to see a Scottish Government strategy that addresses education, employability and health and wellbeing prospects among young people with caring responsibilities.
A recent Carers Trust Scotland survey found that more than two thirds (71 per cent) of young carers aged 12 to 17, and 85 per cent of young adult carers aged 18 to 25, were experiencing increased concern for their futures since coronavirus.
Forty-five per cent of young carers and 68 per cent of young adult carers say their mental health is worse since the pandemic.
And 40 per cent of young carers and 56 per cent of young adult carers feel overwhelmed by the pressures they are now facing.
Carers Trust Scotland is working with young carers across Scotland to ask statutory bodies to make meaningful commitments to deliver young carers’rights across health, social care, education and employment.
It is also urging employers to protect young carers’futures by acknowledging the unique skills and attributes young carers develop from an early age, such as timemanagement skills, resilience, empathy and a sense of responsibility for others.
Louise Morgan, director of Carers Trust Scotland, said:“it is vital that the Scottish Government introduces a new national action plan which is ambitious and ensures young carers in Scotland have the support that they need and are given a fair chance to reach their full potential in all aspects of their lives.”