Agenda and minutes

To approve and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 7 January 2021, and to deal with any matters arising.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meetings held on 7^th January 2021, be approved and signed as a correct record.

CARER FRIENDLY Southampton – Support in education and work

The Panel considered the report of the Director of Legal and Business Operations requesting that the Panel consider the comments made by the invited guests and use the information provided as evidence in the review.

• Summary of information provided:

A carers perspective – Young carers Alex, Ellie-May, Leah, Zunayrah

• A vox pop outlining the views of young carers on support in education and transport was played to the Panel, and 3 young carers, Leah, Ellie-May and Zunayrah, supported by Emma Jones from No Limits, informed the Panel about their experiences.
• View that schools could do more to support young carers by ensuring that teachers are aware of their status as young carers; are more flexible in their approach to homework and lateness; are trained to know how to support young carers more effectively.
• No Limits presentation recommended the following to address the issues raised: Schools to include Young Carers awareness in PSHE lessons – raising awareness of support amongst hidden YC in school; Staff inset days to include Young Carers awareness training (No Limits currently run four SCC Wednesday workshop training sessions on Young Carers although teachers are not able to access these sessions due to being within the school day); Schools need more support setting up the school's programmes than is currently available within the young carers team. Add capacity into the current young carers team to enable the roll out of the Young Carers in Schools programmes.

·  Transport was raised as an issue for young carers – the cost and lack of flexibility was identified.  No Limits recommend free or subsidised public transport across Southampton City for Young Carers to access support groups and other respite activities (could be accessed with a Young Carers identity card).

A carers perspective – Adult carers Vickey and Jon

·  A vox pop outlining views of adult carers on carers support in education and work was played for the Panel.  In addition, Linda Lawless, Service Manager at Carers in Southampton, interviewed Vickey and Jon. Vickey is a carer who has a 9-year-old son with a rare neuro-genetic condition and a 6-year-old daughter diagnosed with autism.  Vickey is also Co-ordinator of Southampton’s Parent Carer Forum. Jon cared for his mother until she died in 2019.

·  Vickey had to leave her job as a physio to care for her son.  She was unable to combine her caring responsibilities with work.

·  Her employee was not very supportive.  She was overlooked for opportunities, alienated by her team, left out of social activities.

·  Annual leave used to be used for medical appointments.  Time for yourself is very limited.

• As Co-ordinator of the Parent Carer Forum she has seen many parents having to take pay cuts, give up businesses to care for their children.  The unpredictability of a child’s health and behavioural challenges can make a parent who has to care for a child an unreliable employee.

·  This is not just a local issue.  A 2019 survey of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.