Closing the Welsh Conservatives’ Debate on Young Adult Carers in the Assembly Chamber yesterday, North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood said there are more than 21,000 young adult carers in Wales aged 14 to 25 who provide assistance and support for families and friends, stated that young adult carers should not be disadvantaged or stigmatised, and called on the Welsh Government to recognize progressive Welsh Conservative recommendations for delivering social justice to young carers in Wales.
Welsh Conservatives called on the Welsh Government to urgently address the support needs of young adult carers, as well as the barriers to education, training and employment they face.
Mr. Isherwood said: The Carers Trust 'Time to be Heard Wales' research referred to found that young adult carers miss or cut short an average of 48 school days a year because of their caring role. They were four times more likely to drop out of college or University than students who were not caring. They rarely receive the assessment of their needs they're entitled to, and they experience higher rates of bullying.
“The life chances of young carers should not be reduced, and our moral duty is to care for our young carers.”
Mr Isherwood noted that the Welsh Conservatives would be supporting the amendment highlighting the importance of respite care for young carers, and went on to express concern that that the ID card scheme for young carers which was launched in Flintshire seven years ago, has not been picked-up by other local authorities across Wales.
He added: “The Deputy Minister, Julie Morgan, stated that young adult carers should have every opportunity to reach their potential in life, and, as she said, no-one in our communities should be left behind.
“Well it's now seven years since Flintshire became the first county in Wales to launch an ID card scheme for young carers or children in care to help them explain their situation and ensure that they received proper recognition and quick access to the support services they needed. This was developed by young carers who were either part of Barnardo's Cymru Young Carers Service in Flintshire or supported by Children's Social Services there.
“As I then said at a meeting in the Senedd seven years ago, ‘it's the first scheme in Wales to help these young people receive the recognition and prompt access to services that they need. The Children's Commissioner told us he hoped that other local authorities would pick this up and that he was working with the Welsh Government to deliver a national identity card on this basis’. Seven years later, it is wrong that this has not happened. I hope you will take heed of our recommendations”.
