Young carers – seen but not heard

Early evidence from research on young caring in general pointed to the neglect of such children by welfare professionals from both children's and adult services (see Bilsborrow, 1992; Aldridge and Becker, 1993a, 1993b; Becker et al, 1998). At the time, such inattention could be accounted for by the contemporary nature of young caring as a welfare issue, as well as by the lack of formal legislative procedures that could accommodate and address young carers’ experiences and needs (see Appendix B of this volume). We can then also more readily comprehend why some professionals, while overlooking children's needs as carers, seemed at the same time to be condoning their caring duties by including them in the informal ‘package’ of care for their ill or disabled parents. Children were rarely consulted about the nature and consequences of their caring activities, but services were sometimes withdrawn or withheld because children were considered capable of care management (see Aldridge and Becker, 1993a). At that time it seemed that young carers were quite literally children who were seen but not heard.

Although we know from research more generally that young carers have been overlooked in service delivery plans, key policy and legislative changes have since occurred to address these oversights (see Appendix B: 1995 (i), 1999 (i), 1999 (ii), 2000 (ii)).

What research on young caring and on the impacts of parental mental ill health on families and children does not tell us, however, is the nature of professional interventions where children are caring for parents who have mental illnesses. And yet research in this area is important for a number of reasons. First, what little evidence there is on this subgroup of children has emphasised more the impacts of the parental conditions themselves on young carers (see Elliott, 1992; Landells and Pritlove, 1994) than the ways in which professionals respond to young carers whose parents are thus affected.

Second, it is important to ascertain whether young carers whose parents have mental health problems have distinct and particular needs which may be different from those young carers whose parents have physical illnesses, disabilities or other conditions.

Third, as service users both young carers and parents with mental illness require inputs from children's services and adult mental health services. Therefore, it is important to consider the nature and extent of any service division and integration here.