For as long as I can remember, I have cared passionately about education and support for children in general.
All of the motions I have brought to council have been in support of children, whether that be regarding their mental health, child exploitation and county lines, or young carers – and all have been unanimously supported.
For example, my Young Carers Motion requested that the council write to the then Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and Schools Minister Nick Gibb, recognising the enormous contribution that young carers make.
The letter and motion called for all young carers to be included in schools’ pupil premium funding, or for a separate fund, similar to pupil premium, to be implemented for young carers, and for Ofsted inspections to again include support for young carers and their outcomes.
It also directed lead members and officers, in consultation with young carers, to further raise awareness in all Swindon schools of the role of young carers.
We encourage our schools to achieve the Young Carers in Schools award, run jointly by the charities Carers Trust and The Children’s Society, and to create a strong culture of pride in young carers themselves.
Following on from this, I discovered the Carers Trust’s Young Carers Charter and requested Swindon Borough Council to adopt it.
I knew that some of our schools had already been providing excellent support for our young carers and I wanted to synchronise this across the town.
My hope is that all of our schools, both primary and secondary, do all that they can to support our young carers in line with the charter.
My ambition would be for this to spread nationwide, to ensure that there is no disparity in the support, understanding, empathy and flexibility that these amazing and inspiring children receive.
I would urge all councils to do as we have in Swindon, and/or for a bill to be passed by government to give much greater support, financially, emotionally and educationally, to our young carers.