House of Commons · Westminster Hall
13 March 2025 · 8 other contributors · 8,356 words
Opened by Chris Vince Labour (Co-op) Harlow
Responding minister: Catherine McKinnell
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Chris Vince raised concerns about young carers: educational opportunities in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The lead MP asks the Minister to make training on young carers a mandatory part of teacher training and ensure that schools have designated young carers leads.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
Yesterday was Young Carers Action Day and a report by the Carers Trust identified issues such as bullying, struggles to study due to caring responsibilities, and lack of support in educational settings. Almost half of young carers reported being bullied, over two in five struggle with studying for tests or exams, almost one in four say there is no support at all for them in their school.
Outlines the challenges faced by young carers, such as high levels of absenteeism in school leading to poor academic performance and reduced chances of higher education. Advocates for better recognition of their status as carers.
Every school in Gloucestershire has a young carers lead, but there is still a need for more to be done to identify young carers from the start and provide structured support during educational transitions. Provided a learned contribution during the debate.
Discussed the government's commitment to fix the broken system by introducing Young Futures hubs, modernising the Mental Health Act 1983, and supporting young carers through improved data collection and joint working between services.
Emphasised that people with mental health issues, including young carers and their families, are not receiving adequate support. Welcomed the government’s plan to recruit more mental health workers and introduce a single unique identifier for better information sharing. Participated in the discussion about educational opportunities for young carers.
Pays tribute to the all-party parliamentary group for young carers, highlighting that fewer than 1% of pupils are young carers but many more go unnoticed. Supports the need for mandatory training for teachers and comprehensive support programmes. Delivered a passionate speech about his family, highlighting the wider role of young carers.
Pays tribute to the hon. Member for Harlow and highlights the importance of identifying and supporting young carers in schools, proposing that they should be automatically eligible for the pupil premium.
Highlights the importance of local groups like North Ayrshire Young Carers in providing support for young carers, including stress management and access to financial support. Reports that education is a significant barrier. Paid tribute to the young carers services in her constituency.
There are around 2,000 young carers in Staffordshire who may be hesitant to come forward for fear of disruption. The Department for Education’s commitment to creating a more comprehensive register could ensure better distribution of resources and identification of problem areas. Contributed to the debate on educational opportunities for young carers.
Government Response
Catherine McKinnellThe Minister for School Standards
The Government are committed to supporting young carers through their opportunity mission, aiming to break the link between a child’s background and future success. They will continue to tackle disadvantage through high standards in education and support family security by tackling child poverty. The Minister highlights that young carers remain largely invisible in schools despite improvements in identifying them. Only 28% of schools accurately recorded any young carers in the latest data, with a goal for this number to improve over time as data collection improves. The Government will work on further analysis and awareness campaigns alongside organisations such as the Carers Trust. Additionally, designated safeguarding leads are required to undergo training for young carer needs, and initial teacher training core content includes awareness of pupils’ life circumstances affecting their learning readiness.