Young Carers in Norfolk Primary Schools: Establishing a Body of Local Evidence

Why is the research needed?

Young carers are children and young people who provide unpaid care for a family member because of disability, long-term illness, mental ill-health or substance misuse. Many young carers remain hidden because their caring role is not identified by schools or other services.

In England, the 2021 Census identified around 120,000 young carers aged 5–17, although this is widely considered an underestimate. Evidence suggests that young carers are often under-recorded in school data, making it difficult to ensure they receive appropriate support. Young caring responsibilities can affect school attendance, educational attainment and wellbeing, with young carers more likely to experience stress, anxiety and disadvantage than their peers.

What are we doing?

We will examine how mainstream primary schools in Norfolk identify young carers and use information about caring responsibilities to support them. We also aim to improve understanding of how schools identify young carers and use information about caring responsibilities to support them. Better identification and use of data could help ensure young carers receive timely support, appropriate signposting and access to relevant services.

We carried out an initial mapping exercise to examine publicly available information and routine data about current practice across Norfolk primary schools. We have subsequently gathered stakeholder perspectives and are now preparing direct engagement with schools to understand:

• how young carers are identified;
• what information is collected and recorded;
• how information about caring responsibilities is used to inform support and referrals; and
• what helps or hinders effective support and innovative practice.

We will use the findings to develop recommendations for improving the identification and support of young carers in schools.

How are we working with communities, services and organisations?

We will take a collaborative approach by engaging with schools and organisations that support young carers and their families.

Stakeholders consulted or involved include Norfolk County Council, Caring Together, MYTIME Young Carers, Carers Trust, The Benjamin Foundation, and the ACORN Network (ARC East of England Family Carer Research Network). Mainstream primary schools in Norfolk will be recruited for the next phase of the study.

Through interviews and stakeholder engagement, the project is gathering diverse perspectives on current practice, challenges and opportunities for improvement. The project will work with partners to ensure outputs are accessible and useful for schools, service providers and decision-makers.

What will the impact and benefits of this research be?

We will create a clearer understanding of how young carers are currently identified and supported in Norfolk primary schools.

Through this work, we will gain a better understanding of current identification and data collection practices while identifying gaps, variations, and examples of good practice across schools. we will develop recommendations to support earlier and more consistent identification of young carers, improve signposting and referral pathways to appropriate support services, and promote better coordination between education, health, and social care services. In addition, we will contribute to building a stronger evidence base to inform local planning, resource allocation, and service development.

The findings will help local partners strengthen support pathways and improve outcomes for young carers and their families. Learning from the project may also inform wider regional and national discussions about policy, data collection and support for young carers.

What do we have planned for knowledge mobilisation and implementation?

We will share findings with participating schools and stakeholders through a range of accessible outputs.

We will produce a short evidence briefing summarising the key findings and share these through feedback events and webinars with schools and local partners. We will also develop a practical What Good Looks Like resource to support the identification of young carers and the use of data to trigger appropriate support and referral pathways. In addition, we will disseminate the findings through the NIHR ARC East of England and ACORN networks and share learning with regional and national audiences to contribute to guidance, policy, and practice discussions.

Related papers, outputs and resources 

Links will be added as outputs are produced.