The key to change is the development of a whole-family approach and for all agencies – including children’s and adult’s services – to work together to offer coordinated assessments and services to the child and the whole family. There may be differences of view between children and parents about what constitutes appropriate levels of care, and these may be out in the open or concealed. Resolution requires a whole-family approach and good partnership working. 

Developing a whole family approach is successful and key benefits from this report include young carers being identified earlier, more personalised support for families and young carers being lifted out of inappropriate caring roles. Carried out an evaluation of a pathfinder which reported on the efficacy of a whole family approach for young carers. Practitioners had worked with 114 families across 18 Local Authorites in England.