Care 2 Work YOUNG BLACK AND MINORITY ETHNIC

Care 2 Work YOUNG, BLACK AND MINORITY ETHNIC CARERS BARRIERS & OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION Greece – Italy – Sweden – United Kingdom 9 th November 2016 EU Visit

Care 2 Work – Aims and Objectives Care 2 Work is a 2 – year programme (started in May 2015) funded under the new Erasmus+ Key Action 2 in the field of youth that aims to: • Tackle the barriers faced by young carers from Black and Minority ethnic groups (BME) in accessing employment, education and training. • Empower young BME carers by recognising and cultivating skills developed through caring and turning them into a sustainable skill-set that can be transferred to employment.

Care 2 Work – Aims and Objectives • Increase the capacity of service providers, youth professionals and educational services in the areas of integration, equity, inclusion and discrimination. • Promote cultural and institutional change that can be embedded within our modern European societies. The partnership The programme is designed and delivered in partnership with our 3 European Partners, namely: Anziani e non solo (Italy), Linnaeus University (Sweden) and the Family and Children Care Centre (Greece). The IARS International Institute acts as a Coordinator

Care 2 Work & European Policy Framework The Care 2 Work project is inspired and motivated by the priorities of the European Youth Strategy and is developed aligned with the provisions of Lisbon Treaty: In 2009 the Council of Ministers Responsible for Youth adopted the new European Youth Strategy aiming to guide both the EU institutions and the member states in pursuing policies to improve the lives of all young people. Lisbon Treaty: “Encourage the participation of young people in democratic life in Europe”

Care 2 Work: Methodology Over the last 12 months Sweden, Italy, Greece and United Kingdom developed in their native national language four national reports taking into consideration their national differences including: v Cultural v Societal v Financial v Institutional The reports consist a strong evidence base that will guide the next steps of the projects.

Care 2 Work: Definitions Ø Young Carers: Young people who provide assistance or support to other family members and are between the ages of 15 -30. The carry out, on a regular basis significant caring tasks and assume a level of responsibility. Ø Care receiver: Parent, a sibling, grandparent or other relative who is disabled, with chronic illness, mental health problem or other condition with need for care/support/supervision. Ø Next of kin and young carers: Not all “next of kin” are young carers Ø “Black and minority ethnic”: Not defined consistently – used interchangeably for young people from ethnic minority or foreign background.

Care 2 Work: A rights-based approach A human rights based approach means that individuals and communities should know their rights. It also means that they should be fully supported to participate in the development of policy and practices which affect their lives and to claim rights where necessary. Through an Independent Youth Advisory Board, Care 2 Work utilises a youth-led methodology that directly involves young carers in the development, delivery and evaluation of the project. Through their active engagement and involvement not only they learn their rights but also shape, influence and inform policies and practices that affect them directly.

Care 2 Work: Risks and Protective Factors

Care 2 Work: Key Comparative Findings ü Young Carers are usually under the radar of research, educational and social justice policies – Young Carers in numbers: UK: 1. 5 million carers below the age of 35. Italy: 170, 000 young carers Sweden: national statistics are unavailable Greece: national statistics are unavailable ü Young BME people are twice as likely to be young carers

Care 2 Work: Key Comparative Findings ü Families from ethnic backgrounds are less likely in general to access services that support young people with a disability or mental health problem due to: - Cultural attitudes held about the shame or stigma associated with disability or mental illness in the family. ü Common reasons of becoming a young carer in BME community include: o Financial difficulties o Inability to access the welfare system associated with migration status (eg. Language barriers) o Moral obligation to take care of their families

Care 2 Work: Key Comparative Findings ü Common problems and obstacles young carers are facing with regards to their roles as carers: o Lack of training or knowledge on how to take care of their people in need o Access to relevant information o Lack of psychological support ü Common problems and obstacles in relation to their personal and professional development o Social isolation o Fewer possibilities for personal and professional development o Lack of educational support

Care 2 Work: Key Comparative Findings ü Common problems and obstacles in relation to their personal and professional development (continued) o Language barriers o Frustration caused by fewer opportunities to improve their living standards – trapped in a vicious circle of poverty. o Suppress their own emotional, social and economic needs. ü o o Common needs of young carers: Need for psychological support Need for communication Need for financial support Need for education information on the care of their family member in need.

Care 2 Work: Key Comparative Findings Ø Common needs of young carers (continued): o Peer support groups o awareness raising activities towards both young people and the community o Counselling o Respite carer and access to recreational activities Ø Existing support by the State o Absence/ limited work of public services o Non Governmental Organisations and European funded initiatives are not adequate to cover the increasing needs of young carers o Limited or absence of legal and policy framework for young carers

Care 2 Work: Key Comparative Findings Developing Skills through Caring: Empowerment through Experience The interviewed young carers identified a number of positive impacts on their skills that gained through caring including: ü Communication ü Conflict management ü Perception ü Motivation ü Stress management ü Team work ü Resilience ü Empathy

Care 2 Work: Key Recommendations & Next Steps Given the findings of the national reports the C 2 W will focus on ü Supporting young carers to feel empowered, self-confident and self sufficient. ü Supporting young carers to enhance skills acquired through caring so their improve their employability as well as their awareness and their willingness to enter education and further training – preventing them from becoming NEETs. ü Addressing inequality among young people. ü Increasing employers’ awareness on the skills of young BME carers and their applicability in the working environment. ü Providing young carers with accreditation opportunities and build the capacity of professional that work with young carers.

Care 2 Work: Achievements E-Publication: Gavrielides et. al (2016). Young Black and Minority Ethnic Carers: Barriers and Opportunities for Employment and Education. London. IARS Publications

Care 2 Work: Achievements 1 st International Conference: "Barriers Understood: Black Minority Ethnic Carers in Europe“, 10 th February 2016, Capri – Italy Keynote speakers: Patrizio Bianchi, Regional Ministry for European policies, development, school, VET, research and employment in the Emilia Romagna Region - Albert Bellelli, Mayor of Carpi, Giorgia Silvestri, Coordinator of services for children - Aliante social cooperative, Nora Marzi, Psychologist – Local Health Service - Modena. The event was chaired by Lalla Golfarelli - President of CAR. ER; The Carers Association of Emilia Romagna. A young carer was also shared her experiences of caring for her bi-polar mother at young age.

Care 2 Work: Achievements Development of the "Care 2 Work" website www. care 2 work. org Since September 2015, the website has 2, 289 users and 6, 895 page views

Care 2 Work: Achievements Development of face to face training sessions for professionals and Young People The training received CPD Accreditation Total reach: 80 professionals and young people in 4 partner countries

Care 2 Work: Achievements Organisation of a 6 -day training event in Athens The training puts special emphasis on cross learning, mobility and cultural awareness, as it brings together youth workers from Greece, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom and provides them the opportunity to learn, train and practice together with one’s peers. It aims to: • raise awareness and increase knowledge among professionals and young people about young BME carers; • contribute to the empowerment of the young participants in their role as young carers and to viewing themselves and their skills as an important resource for future employment and/or further education opportunities; • provide the participants with a deeper insight into how the soft skills can work and what benefits they mean in an educational or working context.

Care 2 Work: Next Steps The C 2 W partnership will organise an 1 -day Conference that will be taking place in April 2017 in central London. The event will act as the final conference of the programme and will be organised by the IARS International Institute. Key figures will be invited to speak alongside young people and beneficiaries from the programme. At this one day event the C 2 W partnership will present the final findings from the project that will be launched in an e-publication from the project. The event will also reach out to relevant policy-makers and stakeholders as well as encouraging the adoption of the outputs by EU-countries not represented in the project partnership.

Thank You! The IARS International Institute 14 Dock Offices Surrey Quays Road London SE 16 2 XU United Kingdom www. iars. org. uk contact@iars. org. uk Tel. (0044) 207 064 4380 23