Schools must complete the Young Carers in Schools Award first. If your school achieved the Award with recommendations, they need to be implemented before moving onto the Award Plus.

To access the Award Plus Pack and supporting resources, visit the Young Carers in Schools website. The Award Plus will have a three-year expiry date to ensure that the provision for young carers remains in place. Schools will be contacted and asked to re-apply prior to their award period expiring.

Background to Young Carers in Schools 

Young Carers in Schools is a free initiative that makes it as easy as possible for schools to support young carers, and rewards good practice.

Run jointly by Carers Trust and The Children’s Society, the Young Carers in Schools programme works with schools across England to share good practice, provide relevant tools and training, and celebrate the great outcomes many schools achieve for young carers.

The Young Carers in Schools programme enables schools to:
- Gain national recognition for improving outcomes for young carers through the Young Carers in Schools Award.
- Identify manageable steps to improve educational outcomes for this vulnerable pupil group – the programme breaks down the actions schools can take so that your school can prioritise what to do next.
- Access additional support including tools, templates, good practice examples, webinars and professional development events.

For further information about the Young Carers in Schools programme, visit youngcarersinschools.com

The YCiS Award allows schools to gain recognition from leading charities for their good practice and ability to meet the needs of these vulnerable pupils.

For many young carers, school offers respite, providing a dedicated space away from their caring role. However, young carers told the first parliamentary inquiry looking into the life opportunities of young carers that, too often, they are struggling to balance education with their caring responsibilities. Evidence submitted to the inquiry demonstrated that, at present, school support is inconsistent across the country. Evidence shows young carers are at risk of poorer attendance and attainment and more challenging experiences within education settings. Statistics are available in the YCiS Award Pack.

Evidence shows that when schools do identify young carers and the appropriate support is put in place, they will likely have better educational journeys and improved wellbeing.

An independent evaluation of the Young Carers in Schools programme found that there had been improvements in young carers’ relationship with education and better meeting of their needs.

Who are young carers?

The Children and Families Act 2014 definition says a young carer is ‘A person under 18 who provides or intends to provide care for another person’.This can include caring for parents, grandparents and/or siblings. The person they care for may live with a physical condition or something more hidden, such as a mental health condition, an addiction, or neurodiversity. Young carers might help with shopping, cooking and cleaning; managing medicines or money; providing personal care and/or emotional support; and may need to look after other siblings.

How to apply to the Young Carers in Schools Award Plus

• To achieve the Young Carers in Schools Award Plus, evidence must be provided to show how your school or college is implementing the criteria. It is important you upload clear photos. Please supply pictures as high-resolution jpeg or png format.
• In response to feedback, we have removed submission deadlines. Schools an not apply when it convenient. Applications for the Award will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we will provide a response within six weeks of submission.

Tools and support

• The Young Carers in Schools Step-by-Step Guide for Schools sets out ten key steps to help schools identify and support young carers. Each step provides key information and practical tools which can be adapted. It has been developed with school staff and is designed to be as flexible and helpful as possible.
• Your local young carers service may be able to provide you with assistance in identifying and supporting the young carers in your school e.g. assemblies to pupils or training for staff. You can find your local service by visiting this page.
• For further resources, visit the Resources page of the Young Carers in Schools website.

Top tips for your application process

We will consider all evidence supplied. If you are unable to provide the evidence listed, please explain this and the evidence you have supplied instead which makes the same point and has the same/similar outcome.

• You can click back at any point during your application to amend/add evidence.
• You can save your application and return to it later by selecting the "Save and Continue Later" button that will apear once you begin in the top right hand corner. You will receive a link (via email) which you can use to return to your application. Please check your spam, the email will be from Alchemer.
• Each part of the application is required, please review and ensure you have not left anything blank or without the relevant documentation.
• When you upload a file the red cross is to be used if you wish to delete the file. This is does not indicate an unsuccessful upload: