News | Thursday, 26th October 2023
Up to a million children face ‘crisis of invisibility’ as young carers, University expert tells TV exclusive
Professor Saul Becker to feature in ITV’s Tonight programme
Up to a million children under 18 in the UK are supporting family members as young carers, a Manchester Met professor highlights in a TV exclusive tonight (October 26).
Professor Saul Becker tells the ITV Tonight documentary about the ‘crisis of invisibility’ for the children who help family members with personal care, often up to 50 hours a week supporting their loved ones.
He is a leading expert on young carers and works closely with the Carers Trust whose new data shows the scale of young people who are carers across the UK.
Prof Becker, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Health and Education at Manchester Met, tells the programme: “We're talking about children who have a significant caregiving role, but we're also talking about just 20% of those children being identified, being recognised, being assessed.
“So the crisis is one of the invisibility of most children who are carers, who are literally left to their own devices to navigate through childhood, without anyone either giving a damn or doing anything to help them.”
The scale of the issue is revealed in an edition of ITV’s Tonight programme, ‘Young Carers: A Hidden Crisis’, presented by ITV’s award-winning correspondent Ronke Phillips Pakenham.
In the documentary, Ronke speaks to young carers about how the responsibilities they have at home impact their day-to-day lives.
Prof Becker has also highlighted the issue as an expert witness to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers which is carrying out the first ever inquiry into young carers. It is examining the impact of being a young carer on their life opportunities, including impact on their education, mental health and childhood.
The inquiry’s initial findings, show a postcode lottery of piecemeal support, where evidence to the inquiry showed how some young carers in England are waiting up to 10 years before they receive any support – with the average wait being 3 years.
Prof Becker added: “Young carers are being forced to become a hidden national health service. They are filling the gaps of our NHS, and we are forcing children to do that because of the inadequacies and the lack of funding in other parts of our welfare system.”
The programme also explores how young carers are adversely affected in school. The Department for Education’s school census recorded 38,000 young carers in England this year, with 79% of schools recording no young carers at all.
Prof Becker will also launch and lead the University’s new Institute for Children’s Futures which combines Manchester Met’s existing strengths in children, young people and families.
Young Carers: A Hidden Crisis airs tonight (October 26) at 8.30pm on ITV and will be available online afterwards.
