Teachers' experiences and perceptions of supporting young carers in schools in England: challenges and barriers and working with outside agencies.

TY - JOUR

T1 - Teachers' experiences and perceptions of supporting young carers in schools in England: challenges and barriers and working with outside agencies.

AU - Warhurst, Amy

AU - Bayless, Sarah

AU - Maynard, Emma

PY - 2025/5/5

Y1 - 2025/5/5

N2 - Despite recent improvements in approaches to supporting young carers, including legislative changes, schools continue to face challenges in supporting young carers’ varied needs. This research aimed to understand the perceptions and experiences of teachers and school staff who support young carers in schools within England, through pastoral processes, and multi-agency working while addressing key challenges in identifying young carers and engaging them in available support. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse interview data from 18 participants. Three main themes were identified: School Resources, School Processes, and Young Carer Identity. These highlighted a need to raise awareness of the core themes in the experiences of young carers, lobbying for improved statutory protection and promoting young carers’ voices. Furthermore, whilst it is widely accepted that young carers are a ‘hidden’ group, teachers in this study also felt that those who provide care and support to young carers and their families can be both unknown and unacknowledged.

AB - Despite recent improvements in approaches to supporting young carers, including legislative changes, schools continue to face challenges in supporting young carers’ varied needs. This research aimed to understand the perceptions and experiences of teachers and school staff who support young carers in schools within England, through pastoral processes, and multi-agency working while addressing key challenges in identifying young carers and engaging them in available support. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse interview data from 18 participants. Three main themes were identified: School Resources, School Processes, and Young Carer Identity. These highlighted a need to raise awareness of the core themes in the experiences of young carers, lobbying for improved statutory protection and promoting young carers’ voices. Furthermore, whilst it is widely accepted that young carers are a ‘hidden’ group, teachers in this study also felt that those who provide care and support to young carers and their families can be both unknown and unacknowledged.

U2 - 10.1080/02643944.2025.2491353

DO - 10.1080/02643944.2025.2491353

M3 - Article

SN - 1468-0122

SP - 1

EP - 25

JO - Pastoral Care in Education

JF - Pastoral Care in Education

ER -