As someone who is also a father of 3 young kids, this one has hit home more than most. Gone at 28 years old leaving behind his wife and his children all aged 4 and under. Definitely makes you grateful for what you have. Thoughts are with his family and friends at this absolutely tragic time #YNWA

Looking forward to @learnworkuk.bsky.social Employment and Skills Convention today Really interested in how we ensure unpaid carers are on the radar in thinking about employment policy but also the opportunities that devolution can bring for local carer services. #EmpSkills25

It was a real privilege to be invited to speak at the @barnardosni.bsky.social event in Stormont this afternoon. Hosted by the Health Minister, the event shined the light on the real need for updated legislation, recognition and support for young carers and young adult carers in Northern Ireland.

Champions!!! What a way to secure number 20! #YNWA

- Young carers missing on average over a month of school - Over 20,000 young carers persistently absent - 3 times as many late sessions 2023-24 attendance stats just as stark as 2022-23. When we talk about pupils missing learning, we have to be including young carers. carers.org/news-and-med...

Great to start the Lib Dem Spring Conferce chatting with Steve Darling, Spokesperson for Work and Pensions about the work of Carers Trust and a range of issues facing carers and local carer services - particularly the recent DWP announcements relating to PIP and UC

Ed Davey and the Bath Philharmonia Young Carers Choir's Christmas Single 'Love is Enough' is number 5 in the iTunes top 200 - ahead of even Ed Sheeran! Raising money for Carers Trust and Bath Philharmonia to support young carers across the country. Download/stream now at - slinky.to/LoveIsEnough

I am so proud that Carers Trust won the Young Carers Award at the CYP Now Awards last night for our Young Carers Alliance work. Absolutely delighted to have received this recognition for the combined efforts of all the hundreds of members and young carers who make the Alliance what it is!

So excited that we can finally talk about this. It's been amazing to be a part of this. Huge thanks to Ed Davey for using his own experience as a young carer to now help raise awareness and vital funds for Carers Trust and Bath Philharmonia to support young carers. Full release tomorrow!

Ed Davey is dreaming of Christmas No 1 hit with carers’ choir

Am really excited for this... watch this space... vm.tiktok.com/ZGd23tSrg/

At opening of NCAS Conference, it is pleasing to hear Melanie Williams, President of ADASS highlighting importance of supporting carers in her opening speech. Also important that she recognised the financial challenges faced by wider social care sector. #ncasc24

As the talk today is around "Getting Britain Working" this article powerfully highlighting the challenges faced by parent carers in relation to employment is so timely. Parent carers are so often forgotten and unsupported - they need to be proactively considered not just by DWP, but also DfE.

UPCOMING WEBINAR 💡 Join us on Wed 11 December at 2pm for presentations on the latest #SocialCare research within @nihr.bsky.social Policy Research Units. Register to join: 👉https://lse.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrcuqprTMvE9fpS2XZ6-lgFRKNLh9-bCvS#/registration 1/7

Good to see the focus on #YoungCarers in this piece by Charity Digital charitydigital.org.uk/topics/how-c... Highlighting the work of @childrenssociety.bsky.social & The Carers Trust (@andymcgowan.bsky.social)

Angela Rayner refers to the social care fair pay agreement as the 'jewel in the crown' of the Employment Rights Bill. For social care providers, including carer services, up and down the country - it certainly won't be without uplifts in contract value to match - www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

These figures are stark enough, but worth noting this is just the cost for social care providers regulated by CQC. It doesn't include for example all the local carer services who don't provide regulated care, but do provide support (including statutory functions) on behalf of local authorities

NEW BLOG: What support do young carers and their families want, need, and value? 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 For #CarersRightsDay, Nicola Brimblecombe shares findings from a @nihr.bsky.social funded study with Sheffield Young Carers & @hscwru.bsky.social on improving support for #YoungCarers:👉 www.lse.ac.uk/cpec/news/re...

Brilliant to spend Carers Rights Day in Parliament with carers and carer services from across the country for a parliamentary roundtable about carers assessments and transitions for carers from Children's to adult services. This was to mark our new Carers' Rights report - carers.org/downloads/ca...

For those of you who work in/around education - have you seen the new report published by Carers Trust about young carers in education - www.carers.org/yceducation? It combines insights from young carers, schools/colleges and young carer services across England with analysis of DfE data.

Today @ofstednews.bsky.social published its response to the Big Listen - www.gov.uk/government/c...) It is really pleasing to see Ofsted highlight young carers as a group that children feel inspectors should particularly ask schools about during inspections.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a massive Christmas fan - but mince pies displayed at the Sainsbury's entrance on 31st August?! That is too much even for me...

With the bank holiday over, it means September and party conference season is right around the corner. I'm at Lib Dem Conference again from the Friday night to the Tuesday. If anyone is around and fancies a catch-up/to chat carers/social care, then do send me a message.

With the potential end of the Household Support Fund, coupled with the changes to eligibility for Winter Fuel Payment, this winter will be even tougher for unpaid carers already struggling with cost of living pressures. This Autumn Budget will be crucial. carers.org/news-and-med...

Really insightful report from @jrf-uk.bsky.social around what care needs are likely to look like over the next ten years. Really welcome it's focus on the need for cross-government work to start now. It also highlights the vital role that local carer services have to play in supporting carers.

This is NOT good news. This is very bad.

So... I go to my local councillors' surgery with our new MP this evening. I may or may not have ended up in the wrong room and with the local bonsai tree club. I can report that they are still looking for more contributions for next month's auction - 2 items currently leaves them somewhat short...🙈

Whilst it's still a few weeks until the start of term in England, the new Working Together to Improve School Attendance statutory guidance comes into force today. The latest figures found 39% of young carers were persistently absent, and their average attendance was 87.7%. Are they on your radar?

Thursday's A Level results saw an increase in number of young people from backgrounds often classed as 'disadvantaged' accepted to university - but figures suggest that there has been a significant drop in the number of students with caring responsibilities accepted www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/...

As we approach the weekend, just wanted to introduce myself as lots of new connections made in the move from X. I work for Carers Trust leading their policy work around young carers. We have got a report/conference about young carers and education next month - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/transformi...