Dundee Carers Centre Evaluation of UPBEET. Final Report

Transcription

1 Dundee Carers Centre Evaluation of UPBEET Final Report December 2015 Report by: Research Scotland 2 Myrtle Park Glasgow G42 8UQ tara.mcgregor@researchscotland.org

2 Contents Executive Summary... i 1. Introduction Contextual Review UPBEET Activities and Reach The Impact of UPBEET Views and Experiences on how UPBEET Delivers its Services Conclusions and Recommendations... 42

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6 1. Introduction About this report 1.1 Research Scotland was commissioned by Dundee Carers Centre in June 2015 to conduct an evaluation of the UPBEET project. UPBEET is a project for young adult carers managed by the Dundee Carers Centre. 1.2 The project is mainly funded by the Big Lottery Fund, having been awarded 646,985 by the lottery over a five-year period between October 2011 and September In it will receive 143,260 from the lottery. The project also receives an annual contribution from Dundee Partnership, which was 22,810 for The overall aim of this research was to provide an evaluation of the UPBEET project, and build on the evidence base around the needs of young adult carers in Dundee. This report aims to support the future development of the UPBEET project. Specifically, the research was to: evaluate and review the activities of the UPBEET project; consider the current existing evidence and legislation relating to young adult carers; gather the views of young adult carers and wider stakeholders about the project; highlight examples of good practice and areas for improvement; and make recommendations for the future development of UPBEET s work with young adult carers. 1.4 The Dundee Carers Centre required the evaluation to be strongly outcomes focused, in order to understand the impact of the project in relation to the following specific outcomes for young adult carers as identified for the Big Lottery: young adult carers will be better able to cope with their caring responsibilities; young adult carers will be better able to cope with financial crises and have reduced financial stress; and young adult carers will have greater opportunities to access education, employment and training and be able to balance it with their caring role and be better connected to their communities. Background to UPBEET 1.5 The UPBEET project is part of the Dundee Carers Centre. It works with young adult carers aged years. A young adult carer is someone who helps look 1

7 after a family member who needs care due to illness, disability, mental health issues or addiction The Dundee Carers Centre offers support and provides services to all unpaid carers and disabled people. 1.7 Work to develop UPBEET began in 2007, supported by initial funding from the Dundee Partnership and further Comic Relief funding secured in When work began there were no tailored support services for year old carers in Dundee, but the Dundee Carers Centre recognised the significant risks and challenges for young adult carers. At that time, the Scottish Government and others were also recognising the significant issues for this group, as reflected in national policies such as More Choices More Chances Dundee Carers Centre worked with local stakeholders to explore options for meeting the needs of young adult carers. To begin with the Centre focused on increasing the knowledge and understanding about young adult carers and their specific needs in Dundee. The Dundee Carers Centre then employed a youth worker whose remit was to engage with young adult carers as a starting point in developing the UPBEET service. This worker carried out a scoping exercise which revealed the significant numbers of young adult carers who could potentially benefit from UPBEET. It was around this time that we started to realise the magnitude of young adult carers, how there was a significant gap between services and that many of the young adults who could benefit had increasingly complex circumstances. Chief Executive 1.9 UPBEET has expanded its activities significantly. Since securing lottery funding in 2012, it employs four dedicated workers, as well as receiving management support from within the Dundee Carers Centre. Method Inception meeting 1.10 We attended an inception meeting with the Dundee Carers Centre, which included staff members from the UPBEET project. At this meeting we presented our proposed methodology and discussed opportunities for consulting and involving young adult carers in the research. We agreed that young people accessing services should be involved in reviewing and promoting the survey, discussing the draft report and participating in a learning and planning event at the end of the evaluation process We agreed that this evaluation should mainly focus on the funding period since October However, the contextual review should include earlier research and evidence, where relevant. We also agreed that the research should be 1 How no? s experiences of barriers to further education, training and employment in Dundee,

8 outcomes focused, to understand the impact of the project on the young people it aims to support. Review of evidence 1.12 We reviewed monitoring and evaluation material provided by the Dundee Carers Centre to understand the background to the UPBEET project, and to gather existing evidence about the outputs and outcomes delivered by the project during the last three years We also conducted a desktop review of literature and policy documents relating to young people, carers and young adult carers to understand the wider policy and demographic context for the work of UPBEET. This included documents provided by UPBEET as well as information from wider literature and national data sources including government policy documents and official data. Stakeholder interviews 1.14 The Dundee Carers Centre provided a list of key stakeholders with an understanding of the work of UPBEET, and the needs of young adult carers in Dundee. This included people working in strategic roles within Dundee City Council and other organisations, as well as stakeholders with more operational roles. All had been involved with the UPBEET project in some capacity, or had a role that involved working with young people Working with Dundee Carers Centre we developed a discussion guide which focused on the key topics and issues of interest. Researchers used this discussion guide to structure the stakeholder interviews which explored: partnership working; key strengths of the UPBEET project; outcomes of the UPBEET project; and areas for development We undertook 13 telephone interviews with stakeholders. The table below provides an overview of the interviews undertaken. Stakeholder telephone interviews by sector Sector Number of stakeholder interviews University and Further Education 2 Dundee Carers Centre wider 4 support services Social Work 2 Volunteering 1 Health 1 Housing 2 Employability 1 Total 13 3

9 Online survey 1.17 An online survey was developed in consultation with UPBEET. The survey was designed to gather the views of both young adult carers using UPBEET services, and those who were not using it. The survey ran for five weeks between 8 July and 7 August. The survey explored: challenges for young adult carers in Dundee; awareness of UPBEET and the Dundee Carers Centre; experience of accessing UPBEET or reasons why UPBEET was not used by young adult carers; the specific outcomes UPBEET has delivered for individual young adult carers; and potential areas for improvement The survey was promoted with young adult carers accessing UPBEET services. UPBEET staff supported this through the UPBEET Facebook page, Twitter and the Dundee Carers Centre website. Dundee Carers Centre also promoted the survey through partner organisations around Dundee, asking them to share the survey link and actively promote this with young people The survey returned 13 responses. All but one respondent used the UPBEET project; the other had heard of the service but had never used it Although we have used figures from the survey in this report, it is worth bearing in mind that the sample was very small, and cannot be seen as being representative of the wider population of young adult carers in Dundee. Profile of survey respondents 1.21 When compared with monitoring data provided by the UPBEET project, the survey results suggest the profile of respondents to the survey was largely representative of people accessing UPBEET in relation to particular characteristics. Of those who responded to the relevant questions: Half of the young adult carers (6 respondents - 50%) fell into the age range. A quarter (3 respondents - 25%) stated that they have a disability. The vast majority (92%) were white Half (50%, 6 respondents) of the young adult carers completing the survey said they spent more than 50 hours per week caring. Two of these respondents were aged 15-19, two were aged and two were aged

10 Engagement with staff 1.23 We held a group discussion with the three UPBEET support workers, the Communications Officer, and another member of Dundee Carers Centre staff. We also interviewed the Chief Executive of the Dundee Carers Centre. These discussions explored the background to the project, how activities are delivered, and views about impact and future development. Engagement with young adult carers 1.24 At the inception meeting we explored options for effectively engaging young adult carers in the research, beyond the survey. We agreed this was best achieved through a combination of focus group discussions and telephone interviews. We aimed to engage with 36 young adult carers in this way, and achieved this We relied on UPBEET staff to recruit young adult carers with different types of caring responsibilities and experience of the project so as to gather a breadth of views A discussion guide was used for the focus groups and revised for use with the young people during telephone interviews. These discussions explored their: awareness of UPBEET how they found out about it or became involved; experience of UPBEET including the type of support they have received; and what worked well or could have been better about this; the outcomes of UPBEET including what has changed for them since receiving support; and views on whether anything about the UPBEET project should change or how it could improve Two focus groups took place - one with young people currently accessing the service and one with people who used to access the service. Staff contacted young adult carers to gauge their interest in the research and invited them to participate. The groups took place at a time young people were already attending the Dundee Carers Centre and lasted approximately one hour. Twelve young adult carers took part in these discussions In depth telephone interviews took place with 24 young adult carers The age of the young adult carers we spoke with ranged from 15 to 32. Thirty were female and six were male. The majority cared for parents or siblings. With a small number caring for their partner or other relatives. 5

11 1.30 Below is a summary table of our research methods, the number of people involved and the key themes explored during the discussions. Summary of Research Methods Method Who No. Themes explored Discussion UPBEET and Dundee 5 Project delivery group Carers Centre staff Key strengths Areas for development Discussion s 12 Experience of the project group (x2) Impact of the project in relation to agreed outcomes What worked well What could be improved Interviews s 24 Experience of the project Impact of the project in relation to agreed outcomes What worked well What could be improved Interviews Stakeholders 13 Experience of the project Perceived outcomes and impact What worked well What could be improved Interviews Chief Executive 1 Background and context Project planning Partnership working Survey s 13 Challenges faced by young adult carers Support needs Awareness and experience of UPBEET and Dundee Carers Centre This report 1.31 This report details the findings from the evaluation of the UPBEET project. Chapter two sets out the contextual landscape for the project, based on a desktop review. Chapter three describes the activities UPBEET offers and Chapter four looks at the experiences of young adult carers and others involved in the project. Chapter five explores the overall impact of the project, in relation to the three outcomes it is working towards. Chapter six sets out our conclusions and recommendations. 6

12 2. Contextual Review Introduction 2.1 This chapter provides a review of the current context in which UPBEET is operating. Specifically, it explores needs, challenges and opportunities in relation to: young people; young adult carers; and young adult carers living in Dundee. 2.2 In particular, it explores existing evidence and research to understand the challenges faced by these groups, and current national policy and guidance which UPBEET should link with. It should be noted that many current policies and strategies at a national and local level are coming to an end. It is likely that a range of new policies, guidance and funding streams will be developed and consulted on during 2016 and 2017, following the outcome of the Scottish national election in May Being Young in Scotland Needs and challenges for young people 2.3 There are a number of very significant challenges facing young people in Scotland today. These relate to a variety of issues including child poverty, education, employability and health and wellbeing 3. There are significant issues around poverty and social disadvantage and the effect this can have on attainment and future success The recent Is Britain Fairer? 5 report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission states that young people aged have the lowest rates for employment in the UK, and that there has been an increase in unemployment for people aged 16 to 24 in Scotland from 2008 to The report also states that in Scotland, there is still an attainment gap in education, particularly for those living in the 20% most deprived areas. Young people are also more likely to be living in poor conditions or in poverty than older people. 2.5 National data and research shows young people experience a range of health and wellbeing challenges: 3 b27s4-introd-pm.pdf 4 Treanor, M 2012, Impacts of poverty on children and young people. Scottish Child Care and Protection Network (SCCPN), Stirling 5 7

13 The Scottish Census 6 and Scottish Health Survey 7 show that 0.9% of young people aged16-24 feel their health is bad or very bad. The Scottish Health Survey found that 31% of children were at risk of being overweight and 17% of children were at risk of being obese. It also found that children living in the most deprived areas of Scotland were more likely to eat unhealthy foods such as sweets and soft drinks on a regular basis. Mental health has been widely reported on in the media as an area of concern for young people. A recent study into the mental health of children and young people 8 found that there are inequalities in gender and age, with females showing poorer mental health outcomes than males at an older age. The study also found that young people living in more deprived areas had poorer mental health outcomes. Opportunities for UPBEET 2.6 It is important that UPBEET clearly articulates its target group (young adult carers experiencing multiple disadvantage and challenges) and role (supporting young people to remain involved in education and employment; and improving health and wellbeing) in relation to the challenges set out above. 2.7 In particular, it needs to make clear links to relevant national priorities and policies. The current policy framework for young people includes: National outcomes - The Scottish Government has national outcomes for Young People 9 and Children, Young People and Families 10. These outcomes recognise that young people must be supported to develop the four key capacities (successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens) that help them transition into adulthood. Specifically: o Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens This national outcome links into the Curriculum for Excellence and GIRFEC. o We have improved the life chances for children, young people and families at risk This national outcome recognises that young people need to be supported to ensure that they are able to pursue learning or work, regardless of personal circumstance. GIRFEC 11 (Getting it right for every child) is the national model used to improve the wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland. The GIRFEC approach encourages all people and services involved in a child or young person s life to work in a co-ordinated manner. One of the key areas of GIRFEC is the Named Person - a single point of contact for Scottish Census

14 children, young people and families to access advice and support. The GIRFEC approach also encourages services to be aware of the SHANARRI (Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, Included) principles, which are the requirements and indicators for young people to develop and reach their potential. The Scottish Government has also developed a National Youth Work Strategy 12 for This strategy recognises that young people may have a caring role. It encourages partners continue to promote, celebrate and support all young people through the transitions and challenges they face. The Christie Commission s report 13 on the future of public service delivery states that services must take a needs led approach, that caters to the requirements of the community. It also encourages more collaboration between public, private and third sector organisations. The Adult Learning Statement of Ambition 14 makes clear that learning as an adult should not be restricted if a person s circumstances change. It also acknowledges that gaining, maintaining and progressing in employment is often dependent on adult education. These are issues which affect all people but can also disproportionately affect young adult carers embarking on a career. The Scottish Government is keen that GIRFEC principles and practice are extended to young adults over this is very much in keeping with the through life approach to service delivery taken by the Dundee Carers Centre. Wider policies impacting on young people - In addition, over the past ten years the Scottish Government has worked to implement a number of strategies and frameworks relating to poverty, health and wellbeing, learning and employment. These include More Choices, More Chances 16, Achieving our Potential 17, Equally Well 18, Activity Agreements 19 and Opportunities for All 20. More widely, the Scottish Government also has Youth Arts 21 and Youth Sports 22 strategies. Both of these aim to make Arts and Sport more inclusive and accessible to all young people in Scotland, regardless of personal circumstance data/assets/pdf_file/0016/21328/time-to-shine-scotlands-youth-arts- Strategy.pdf

15 How should UPBEET respond? UPBEET already focuses on the priority outcomes identified through research and national policy for young people. It should continue to articulate these links, in working with local partners, funders and policy makers. In particular, it could helpfully: reinforce its evaluative evidence of impact in relation to education, employability and health and wellbeing; and emphasise evidence about the significant disadvantage experienced by its client group. Being a Young Carer 2.8 The 2011 Scottish Census data 23 reveals that there are 37,393 young people aged 0-24 providing unpaid care in Scotland. Of these young people, 27,391 are aged Of these, 7,000 are providing over 35 hours of unpaid care per week. 2.9 According to the 2011 Census, over 13,000 people are providing unpaid care in Dundee and over 800 of those are aged There are slightly more female than male young adult carers in Dundee, with 54 per cent female compared with 46 percent male, which is broadly similar to the overall Scottish figure It seems likely, however, that the numbers of young carers are significantly higher than those suggested by the Census. This may be due to the fact that adults mostly complete Census forms, and that many people do not necessarily identify with the term carer. Needs and challenges for young carers 2.11 Evidence suggests that carers face specific challenges that affect the outcomes they experience in life. Research suggests that young carers or young adult carers are more likely to come from a disadvantaged background 26. And wider challenges actually compound this disadvantage. Key issues for carers relate to: Financial difficulty This is a key issue for many carers, particularly when they are required to give up employment in order to care. A manifesto published by Carers UK 27 found that unemployment, travel costs and recent benefit changes have placed significant stress on carers trying to manage household budgets, often leaving them in financial hardship with debts and little opportunity to save. The Census Census Census Scotland s Carers: An official statistics publication for Scotland , Carers Manifesto, Carers UK, London. 24/06/15 10

16 Department of Work and Pensions has found that only 57% of those entitled to receive Carer s Allowance do receive it 28. Physical and emotional health issues associated with caring - Research has found that 32% of carers state that caring has a negative effect on their health, and carers providing more hours of care are less likely to state that they have good or very good health. Carers Scotland found that many carers start experiencing health problems when they begin caring, and that pre-existing health problems amongst carers can become worse 29. Commonly carers suffer from lack of sleep, poor diet and physical injuries, particularly back injuries 30,31. The emotional toll of caring along with poor health and financial concerns contribute towards a high level of mental health issues, including stress, depression and anxiety. For example, national data shows that young carers aged 0-24 are significantly more likely to have a mental health condition than young people who are not carers 32. Balancing employment and caring responsibilities - The time commitment required in caring roles means that many carers reduce their working hours or retire early in order to fulfil their caring duties. Balancing paid employment and caring has been shown to be a significant challenge for carers 33. Around one in five carers give up work entirely in order to care, and those that do work are more likely to be in low paid jobs 34. Balancing education and caring responsibilities - Spending a significant portion of time caring means that young carers often have problems keeping up at school. Fatigue, particularly from caring at night, can lead to a lack of concentration during the school day, falling behind with homework and poor attendance. Lack of awareness from school staff means that often, young carers do not receive the support they need to maintain their education or reach their potential 35. A lack of achievement at school along with the time required for caring results in limited opportunities for young adult carers to gain further education, employment or training. Overall, young adult carers are less likely to be in further or higher education than their non-carer peers 36. A lack of social opportunities and isolation - Young carers have limited time available for activities outside the home because of their caring role. This means that many young carers are not able to access the opportunities available for them. They also have less time available to socialise and are likely to have different priorities than their peers. Not , Self-directed Support: A Guide for Carers. Scottish Government, Edinburgh. 29 Carers Scotland (2011) Sick, Tired and Caring , National Carers Strategy , Scottish Government, Edinburgh , State of caring 2015, Carers UK, London. 24/06/ , Scotland s Carers: An Official Statistics Publication for Scotland. Figure 29: Percentage of people with mental health condition. Scottish Government, Edinburgh , Self-directed Support: A Guide for Carers. Scottish Government, Edinburgh. 34 An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK: Report of the National Equality Panel. (2010) CASE report 60, ISSN :sticerd.lse.ac.uk/case , Getting it Right for Young Carers: The Young Carers Strategy Scottish Government, Edinburgh. 36 An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK: Report of the National Equality Panel. (2010) CASE report 60, ISSN :sticerd.lse.ac.uk/case 11

17 participating in activities with class mates or socialising after school can have significant impact on emotional wellbeing and adds to the isolation that many young carers face 37. Challenges experienced by other young people - Along with the responsibilities of caring, young carers and young adult carers face the challenges that all young people their age face, such as developing their own identity, sexuality and personality 38. A range of wider inequalities - The general demands of caring and transitioning into adulthood are amplified when carers are in lone parent families, live in rural or remote areas, have additional support needs or particular cultural or language barriers 39. Times of transition - One of the key requirements for young adult carers is the need for support during transition from child to adult services. It has been noted in Getting it Right for Young Carers that many young adult carers lose support at 18 when services for young carers end. Without dedicated services, young adult carers often feel that they no longer identify with younger carers in services for up to 18 but also do not identify with services for adult carers, which support older people in a caring role Carers can also experience a number of positive outcomes as a result of caring. Taking on a caring role may help to build a sense of responsibility and maturity as well as building a loving relationship between care giver and receiver. It can also help give young people a sense of place and value within the family and help develop general life skills such as financial management, domestic duties and communication with services. 41 Research by the Dundee Carers Centre Carers, education, training and employment In 2010, Dundee Carers Centre conducted research into young adult carers experiences 42. This work focused on the barriers they faced in accessing education, training and employment. The research found that the main barriers for young adult carers when accessing education, employment and training were to do with having poor attendance at school, leaving school early and having low confidence in general. The study found that many young adult carers were excluded from school, rather than schools and authorities identifying the causes of poor performance and attendance , Getting it Right for Young Carers: The Young Carers Strategy Scottish Government, Edinburgh , Getting it Right for Young Carers: The Young Carers Strategy Scottish Government, Edinburgh , Getting it Right for Young Carers: The Young Carers Strategy Scottish Government, Edinburgh , Getting it Right for Young Carers: The Young Carers Strategy Scottish Government, Edinburgh , Getting it Right for Young Carers: The Young Carers Strategy Scottish Government, Edinburgh. 42 Ryan, G., (2010). How no? Young Adult carers experiences of barriers to further education, training and employment in Dundee. Dundee Carers Centre. 12

18 For young adult carers in further education the study found that there were difficulties around receiving support from the education institution. There were also concerns over Educational Maintenance Allowance and how this related to Disability Living Allowance. The Dundee Carers Centre research found that flexibility was key in terms of employment and training. Current legislation states that in order to take unpaid leave carers must be looking after a dependent and have been employed for 26 weeks. This often poses a difficulty for young adults as they may not be caring for a dependent and are often just beginning in work. Due to these conditions, young adult carers may not be keen to be open with employers about their caring role and responsibilities. It was also noted that for some young adult carers working is not a viable option as they are required to care full-time. Although all young people should be given the opportunity to gain training and employment, for some young carers it may not be feasible. Research by the Scottish Youth Parliament Scottish Youth Parliament produced a report in 2014 on the cost of caring on young people 43. This report concluded: 1. Young carers and young adult carers experience significant emotional and financial strain due to their caring responsibilities. 2. Young carers and young adult carers lack sufficient support and financial assistance during the transition from childhood to adulthood. 3. Young carers groups and opportunities to socialise with peers are important for the emotional wellbeing of young carers and young adult carers. 4. Many young carers and young adult carers feel their current and future opportunities are limited due to their caring responsibilities. 5. There are gaps in literature and research in regards to young adult carers in Scotland. From A Costly Youth: The Impact of Caring on Young People in Scotland 44 Survey of young adult carers, 2015 The online survey of young adult carers conducted as part of this evaluation asked what the biggest challenge was for young carers in Dundee. Responses from eleven young adult carers indicated that their main challenges focused on receiving financial support, maintaining a social life and being recognised as a carer by the community. Others mentioned the challenge of accepting the role of a carer and finding support to do this pdf 44 pdf 13

19 I think it's definitely trying to realise you are in fact a carer and accepting that it's okay to need help. A lot of us think of our caring roles as a thing we just do or have always done so we don't really see ourselves as carers. online survey I am always thinking about him and that must be a challenge as well as you might not be able to concentrate on your work as you are constantly thinking about the person you care for. online survey Opportunities for UPBEET in relation to national policy 2.13 Here we consider the national policies in relation to caring which UPBEET needs to consider and articulate its links to The Scottish Government Young Carers strategy makes twelve recommendations in relation to young adult carers. These recommendations summarised below, state the actions that services should take in order to better support and reduce barriers for young adult carers. Summary of Scottish Government recommendations for Young Adult Carers Development of services and interventions should focus on carer outcomes rather than service types or models. s should be involved in planning and developing services. s should be prepared for transition into adulthood from around age 16. Projects for young adult carers should deliver programmes focused on transition, including skills to further opportunities for education, employment and training and life skills. The destinations and outcomes for young adult carers should be recorded. Outcomes for young adult carers should be monitored and evaluated. Services should inform carers of their legal rights. Particularly the right to a Carer s Assessment, which can lead to engagement with other support services. Young carer s services and adult carer s services should work together to provide smooth transition to adult services when carers turn 18. Universal services have a key role in identifying young adult carers and supporting them through specialist provision. Wider services (universities, job centres, leisure services, housing) should identify and engage with young adult carers. Local authorities should integrate outcomes for young adult carers into existing carer s strategies. Services for adult carers should address the barriers to young adults accessing services. 14

20 2.15 The Scottish Government has progressed new legislation which impacts significantly on the rights of carers and young people. In particular: The Carers (Scotland) Bill 2015 was introduced to Parliament in March This draft legislation aims to ensure that carers and young carers in Scotland have the means and support to live a full life alongside their caring responsibilities. The Children and Young Peoples Act outlines the rights of children and the duties of the state towards all children. It does not detail specific responsibilities regarding young carers or young adult carers. However, the introduction of measures such as having a single Named Person (professional responsible for a young person) and the use of the Getting It Right For Every Child model (which encourages a person centred approach to service provision, based on the wider outcomes of each child) have potential impacts on young people with caring responsibilities In 2012 the Scottish Government created a Carers Parliament. This annual parliament provides an environment for carers, young carers and carer representatives to examine issues that they feel are important. Discussions take place with Ministers and wider stakeholders, participants engage in themed debates, and raise awareness of the issues affecting them. How should UPBEET respond? When we look at the evidence about needs and challenges, it is clear that UPBEET already focuses on these in its service delivery. It should continue to keep emerging evidence under review, and promote its successes in delivering outcomes relating to the challenges identified by research and consultation. UPBEET is already closely aligned with the national policy aims and outcomes in relation to caring. It is already strongly focusing on meeting the needs of young carers, based on local and national evidence. It is very difficult to say what direction the national policy on caring will take beyond the current strategy. It seems likely that much of the language and principles (which have evolved over a long period of time) will remain. But UPBEET could helpfully: review and consider its links to emerging party manifestos in the spring of 2016; actively participate in any consultations or engagement processes on a new carers strategy or plan from 2016 onwards (potentially including through the Carers Parliament); and keep under review emerging funding opportunities arising at a local and national level from

21 Opportunities for UPBEET in relation to financial support issues 2.17 In recent years, there have been changes to the way that financial support is provided to disabled people and those that care for them. In particular: There are concerns about welfare reform and the impact this might have on disabled people and carers. In particular, in relation to Council Tax Reduction, the Universal Credit, and the replacement of Disability Living Allowance with the Personal Independent Payment. The main financial support available for carers is currently the Carers Allowance. This is available to carers over 16 earning less than 110 per month and not in full-time education. There has been concern that recent welfare reforms such as the bedroom tax would impact particularly on carers, although this has been recently addressed by the Scottish Government. Self Directed Support: A National Strategy for Scotland was introduced in The strategy aims to give disabled people more choice and control over the support they receive. Working through self-directed support, local authorities should give service users a budget with which they can purchase care and support in a way that suits their lifestyle. Ideally, this should allow people to have more control and independence in their choice of services. For carers and the people they care for, this may mean greater choice in who provides paid for services, when they are provided, and what types of services are used 47. How should UPBEET respond? The Dundee Carers Centre already provides access to money and benefits advice services. It should continue to promote these locally, and look at relevant opportunities to expand these based on increasing demand or emerging funding opportunities. Living in Dundee Needs and challenges 2.18 People living in Dundee often experience significant disadvantage, when compared with other local authority areas in Scotland. These challenges will often be compounded for young adult carers, who can experience multiple disadvantage In particular: Deprivation - Almost one third of the population of Dundee live in the 15% most deprived areas and over one quarter of children live in poverty 48. Almost 18% of the population of Dundee are income deprived and 17% are employment deprived , Self-directed support: A National Strategy for Scotland. Scottish Government, Edinburgh , Self-directed Support: A Guide for Carers. Scottish Government, Edinburgh , Dundee City Council Profile, Dundee Partnership Fairness Strategy Census. 16

22 Health and wellbeing - Around 6% of people in Dundee state that they have bad or very bad health, compared with 5.6% at national level. 50 Long term sickness accounts for the greatest proportion of people who are not economically active 51. Dundee also has a higher than average rate of ill health due to diabetes, heart disease and lung disease. Rates of mental health are also higher than the national average with over 12% of people prescribed drugs for anxiety, depression or psychosis. Dundee also has a lower life expectancy for both males and females than the national average 52. Education, Employment and Training - The percentage of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance and other key benefits in Dundee is higher than the national average. Opportunities for UPBEET 2.20 Dundee City Council had its own Carers Strategy 53. Although now out of date, this represents the local authority s most recent policy position on caring. This strategy outlined the way in which the Council would support carers in their role. It focused on: financial support, advocacy, health and wellbeing, and training, education and employment. One of the key objectives relating to young people was the aim to increase the number of carers assessments conducted for young people, so they can be identified and supported. The Strategy also stated that the Council would continue to develop the Young Carers Project, enhance current provision and encourage more partnership work between Health, Education and Social Work services A new Carers Strategy is currently being developed as a partnership between Dundee City, NHS Tayside, Carers Organisations, Dundee Voluntary Action and Carers. It is anticipated that this strategy will seek that services are delivered at a local level, which includes Information for Carers. The new Strategy will continue to develop services for carers to help them in their caring role and support them with their life goals Dundee City Council has identified a series of strategic priorities and outcomes as part of the Single Outcome Agreement for the city A number of these relate directly and indirectly to young adult carers. In particular, the following: Outcome 3 - Our children will be safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included; Outcome 5(b) - Carers are supported in their caring role whilst having a life of their own and have their caring role acknowledged; and Census Dundee Economic Profile pdf 52 Dundee CHP Health and Wellbeing Profile Dundee Carers Strategy Carers-Strategy pdf

23 Outcome 9 - Our communities will have high quality and accessible local services and facilities The Single Outcome Agreement recognises the crucial role that unpaid carers have in the community and the increasing importance of this role in the future The overall Council Plan 56 recognises young people as carers and plans to review policy and practice for young carers. How should UPBEET respond? UPBEET should actively engage in policy discussions as the Council develops its new SOA and Council Plan, a new Carers Strategy, and sets out any revised plans (following local government elections in May 2017). It could take a proactive approach to this, as well as responding to formal consultation opportunities as they arise. In doing so, UPBEET should clearly articulate that it reaches those most in need, and experiencing significant disadvantage, and its successes

24 3. UPBEET Activities and Reach Introduction 3.1 This section of the report looks at the activities and types of support offered by UPBEET, and analyses existing monitoring data to understand the profile of users and the reach of the project. Aims of the project 3.2 The UPBEET project aims to support young adult carers aged years access confidential information and support in areas including: personal development; raising confidence and self-esteem; entitlement to benefits; employment skills; and opportunities to combine education, training, or employment with their caring role. Staff team 3.3 The UPBEET staff team is made up of: a full time Development Worker who oversees the project; two full time Support Workers; and a part-time Communications Officer. 3.4 The work of the team is overseen and supported by a Team Manager of the Carers Support Services within Dundee Carers Centre. Key activities 3.5 UPBEET offers support to young adult carers in a number of ways: Initial assessment - Staff conduct an initial assessment with the young adult carer and design a support plan to meet their needs. This is reviewed after three months to evaluate the progress made. One-to-one support Most of the support provided by the project is on a one-to-one, face-to-face basis. This allows the young person to discuss anything they choose. Information can be provided on a number of topics including life skills, financial capability, family support, health (physical, mental, sexual) and employability. At the time of this report, staff reported a current case load of up to 25 active cases each. Generally, each staff member sees between 8 and 12 young adult carers for a one-to-one session per week. These sessions can take place at the home of the young adult carer or in public places in which they feel comfortable. The project can offer practical support by 19

25 accompanying young people to meetings or interviews and advocating on their behalf where appropriate. Group sessions - These take place on weekday evenings. The sessions have covered a range of topics of relevance to young people. Some have focused on training, employability and financial capability. Others were aimed at team building, health and wellbeing and working towards accreditation such as Youth Achievement Awards. External agencies deliver training and workshops in-house at the group sessions. Family support group - UPBEET offers a family support group which is made up of young adult carers, who have multiple caring roles. This started recently in response to demand. UPBEET staff have reported that feedback about this group has been positive. Work in schools - UPBEET staff also conduct work in secondary schools with S4 pupils during Personal Social Education (PSE) classes to improve understanding of the issues for carers, and to promote their service. UPBEET delivers a presentation about being a young adult carer, talking about life at home and trying to help pupils identify if they are actually young adult carers. UPBEET is then able to offer advice to those who wish to discuss their home life in more detail. Work with partners UPBEET staff work closely with a range of partner organisations to raise awareness of project activities with young adult carers and professionals who might be in contact with them. For example, UPBEET has strong links with further education colleges and universities. Wider Dundee Carers Centre activities 3.6 Staff and volunteers provide support to carers and disabled people, in their own home, in the Centre or over the phone. Services include: individual and group support; information; training; benefits advice; short breaks; support for carers from minority ethnic communities (in Urdu, Mandarin and Cantonese); support for young carers; support for young adult carers; help to access other services; and a Direct Payments service to help disabled people access self-directed support. 20

26 Links to wider services 3.7 The UPBEET project is located within the Dundee Carers Centre, which allows young adult carers to easily be referred to services such as welfare rights, short breaks or for wider support. Staff are able to liaise with one another about specific cases and this helps to maintain the level of support the young person requires. We signpost to other projects internally, like family support and welfare rights. We help create opportunities. Staff Staff 3.8 s can come to the UPBEET project via self-referral, or be referred by other services - such as Barnardo s, Prenumbra or social work services. UPBEET staff have worked hard to raise the profile of the project among local organisations in order to create referral routes for young adult carers. Strengths of the UPBEET approach 3.9 UPBEET staff felt their approach to the work is a strength of the project. These reported approaches reflect the recommendations of the Scottish Government s Strategy for young carers, discussed in Chapter 2. For example: The project takes a flexible approach. Support is tailored to the young person s needs and circumstances. This includes being flexible about where and when one-to-one meetings take place with young adult carers. The staff team works closely together, using regular meetings to discuss case loads and divide the workload. The staff are given freedom to make decisions and to try out different ways of engaging young people. Young people are involved in the development of the project as much as possible. UPBEET works to create opportunities for them to get involved and have their voices heard. For example, young adult carers recently took part in a Carer s Conference where they were able to share their experiences in public. Evaluation is used to review progress and understand impact. Young people are asked to self-evaluate their progress and staff record the progress of each young adult carer every three months. Young people also feedback their views on the activities and group sessions which helps staff to improve future sessions. The staff described UPBEET as a learning project. 21

27 Reach of the project 3.10 UPBEET monitoring data for the four-year period between October 2011 and September 2015 is used in the tables below The project was funded by the Big Lottery Fund (BLF) to provide support to 50 new young adult carers per year for five years. However, it should be noted that during 2014, staffing changes meant a slight decrease in outputs. The UPBEET project reported the following figures to the BLF in their annual returns: Number of new young adult carers each year involved in key activities Activity Group support, training and counselling One-to-one support Family support Short breaks Number of new young adult carers receiving specific support Type of support Assessment and support plan Financial skills training for young adult carers Financial skills support for families The table above shows the number of new young adult carers receiving specific support. This included help with budgeting, debt and grants as well as information on benefits entitlements and support to reduce financial stress. Support has been delivered in groups or on a one-to-one basis However, to reflect the true nature of the amount of young adult carers supported, the project has supplied the following figures for all young adult carers worked with during the project lifespan; totalling 413: Number of young people supported End of year report, 2012, covering period from October 2011 to September End of year report, 2013, covering period from October 2012 to September Project monitoring report form, 2014, covering period from October 2013 to September Data provided by UPBEET, covering period from October 2015 to September End of year report, 2012, covering period from October 2011 to September End of year report, 2013, covering period from October 2012 to September Project monitoring report form, 2014, covering period from October 2013 to September Data provided by UPBEET, covering period from October 2015 to September