Five days until departure

Well, months of planning and now I am just about ready to head off to Australia. My plan is to meet up with a whole range of services in Sydney and NSW over the next four weeks to really get a good understanding of how children, who live in families where a parent experiences mental ill health, are supported. Many of these children are young carers and they are taking on levels of emotional or practical support that most adults would struggle to cope with. Services in the UK have historically been directed at the young people themselves and there is no doubt that they do need time away from their responsibilities to address the many issues that they face. Over the last few years however we have really begun to listen to what young carers have been telling us all along and that is 'the best thing that you can do to help me is to help my mum / dad'. Recognising the needs of the family as a whole is crucial to meeting the needs of young carers and at Gloucestershire Young Carers we are keen to develop services that really make a difference.

I have had a fantastic response from colleagues in Australia who have offered me a huge range of opportunities, from meeting the people that really matter by attending camps and activities for the young people and by visiting families in their homes to learning about professional networks, training, policy and strategic developments.


I'm sure that I will use this blog not only to share my experiences but also to air my own views, developed over many years of working with young carers and their families. I hope to return to the UK with new ideas and perspectives which can influence service development here.


Hopefully my next message will come from Sydney next week. Speak to you then.