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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

Thank you @alisonebennett.bsky.social for your support with this crucial issue. This will represent the first time there has been a requirement in English policy for Mental health settings to identify children caring for a parent with a mental illness and to ensure they have access to support.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

As someone who is also a father of 3 young kids, this one has hit home more than most. Gone at 28 years old leaving behind his wife and his children all aged 4 and under. Definitely makes you grateful for what you have. Thoughts are with his family and friends at this absolutely tragic time #YNWA

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Looking forward to @learnworkuk.bsky.social Employment and Skills Convention today Really interested in how we ensure unpaid carers are on the radar in thinking about employment policy but also the opportunities that devolution can bring for local carer services. #EmpSkills25

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

It was a real privilege to be invited to speak at the @barnardosni.bsky.social event in Stormont this afternoon. Hosted by the Health Minister, the event shined the light on the real need for updated legislation, recognition and support for young carers and young adult carers in Northern Ireland.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

Champions!!! What a way to secure number 20! #YNWA

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

- Young carers missing on average over a month of school - Over 20,000 young carers persistently absent - 3 times as many late sessions 2023-24 attendance stats just as stark as 2022-23. When we talk about pupils missing learning, we have to be including young carers. carers.org/news-and-med...

carers.org

Shocking school absence figures for young carers show they urgently need more support

Nearly half of young carers in secondary school miss a day every fortnight. They need urgent support. Read more.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Great to start the Lib Dem Spring Conferce chatting with Steve Darling, Spokesperson for Work and Pensions about the work of Carers Trust and a range of issues facing carers and local carer services - particularly the recent DWP announcements relating to PIP and UC

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Ed Davey and the Bath Philharmonia Young Carers Choir's Christmas Single 'Love is Enough' is number 5 in the iTunes top 200 - ahead of even Ed Sheeran! Raising money for Carers Trust and Bath Philharmonia to support young carers across the country. Download/stream now at - slinky.to/LoveIsEnough

slinky.to

Love Is Enough – Bath Philharmonia Young Carers' Choir (feat. Ed Davey)

Check out this release from Bath Philharmonia & Bath Philharmonia Young Carers' Choir (feat. Ed Davey)

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

I am so proud that Carers Trust won the Young Carers Award at the CYP Now Awards last night for our Young Carers Alliance work. Absolutely delighted to have received this recognition for the combined efforts of all the hundreds of members and young carers who make the Alliance what it is!

A picture of 3 people at the Children and Young People Now Awards holding the Young Carer Award.

A picture from a booklet showing why Carers Trust won the Young Carers Award for their Young Carers Alliance project.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

So excited that we can finally talk about this. It's been amazing to be a part of this. Huge thanks to Ed Davey for using his own experience as a young carer to now help raise awareness and vital funds for Carers Trust and Bath Philharmonia to support young carers. Full release tomorrow!

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Am really excited for this... watch this space... vm.tiktok.com/ZGd23tSrg/

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

At opening of NCAS Conference, it is pleasing to hear Melanie Williams, President of ADASS highlighting importance of supporting carers in her opening speech. Also important that she recognised the financial challenges faced by wider social care sector. #ncasc24

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

As the talk today is around "Getting Britain Working" this article powerfully highlighting the challenges faced by parent carers in relation to employment is so timely. Parent carers are so often forgotten and unsupported - they need to be proactively considered not just by DWP, but also DfE.

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Reposted by Andy McGowan

Care Policy and Evaluation Centre (LSE) @cpeclse.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

UPCOMING WEBINAR 💡 Join us on Wed 11 December at 2pm for presentations on the latest #SocialCare research within @nihr.bsky.social Policy Research Units. Register to join: 👉https://lse.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrcuqprTMvE9fpS2XZ6-lgFRKNLh9-bCvS#/registration 1/7

Social Care Research in NIHR Policy Research Units
Date: Wed 11 Dec 2024
Time: 2pm - 5pm GMT
Register to join on Zoom

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Angela Rayner refers to the social care fair pay agreement as the 'jewel in the crown' of the Employment Rights Bill. For social care providers, including carer services, up and down the country - it certainly won't be without uplifts in contract value to match - www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

mirror.co.uk

Fair pay for social care staff will help fix crumbling NHS says Angela Rayner

The Deputy Labour Leader said she was "frustrated" by how the care system has been allowed to fragment under the Tories

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Hi Tracy - are you linked in with the We Care Campaign? They are a grassroots campaign of carers and so lots of great opportunities to get involved in having your voice heard (that is where most of the carers in this work came from) - wecarecampaign.org.uk

wecarecampaign.org.uk

Giving a voice to Unpaid Carers across UK | We Care Campaign

We’re a grassroots campaign that believe in getting Unpaid Carers the recognition they deserve by amplifying Carers Voices.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

These figures are stark enough, but worth noting this is just the cost for social care providers regulated by CQC. It doesn't include for example all the local carer services who don't provide regulated care, but do provide support (including statutory functions) on behalf of local authorities

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Reposted by Andy McGowan

Care Policy and Evaluation Centre (LSE) @cpeclse.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

NEW BLOG: What support do young carers and their families want, need, and value? 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 For #CarersRightsDay, Nicola Brimblecombe shares findings from a @nihr.bsky.social funded study with Sheffield Young Carers & @hscwru.bsky.social on improving support for #YoungCarers:👉 www.lse.ac.uk/cpec/news/re...

What support do young carers and their families want, need and value?
By Nicola Brimblecombe

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Brilliant to spend Carers Rights Day in Parliament with carers and carer services from across the country for a parliamentary roundtable about carers assessments and transitions for carers from Children's to adult services. This was to mark our new Carers' Rights report - carers.org/downloads/ca...

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 28/09/2024

Beyond the statistics in the above images, one of the standout findings was that 39% of young carers were persistently absent in 2022-23; for secondary-aged young carers - the figure is almost half (46%)! If you would like to chat about these findings/young carers, do get in touch.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 28/09/2024

For those of you who work in/around education - have you seen the new report published by Carers Trust about young carers in education - www.carers.org/yceducation? It combines insights from young carers, schools/colleges and young carer services across England with analysis of DfE data.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 03/09/2024

6. Ofsted will work with the government to introduce a new annual safeguarding, attendance and off-rolling review. So attendance will have a specific focus in its own right.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 03/09/2024

5. Ofsted have set up 7 external reference groups to give them independent advice and challenge from leading experts across the breadth of their work. Attendance (and behaviour) is one, inclusion is another, as is early years regulation and social care.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 03/09/2024

Ofsted will: 3. 'Consider how [their] inspections focus on how providers remove the barriers to opportunity for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with SEND 4. Introduce the Ofsted Academy to improve training for inspectors.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 03/09/2024

2. Ofsted will 'consult on introducing a new inspection criterion for inclusion. This will increase [their] focus on, and scrutiny of, how education providers support vulnerable children and young people, such as those who are disadvantaged or who have SEND'

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 03/09/2024

There are a number of measures in Ofsted's response which I feel have real potential to significantly improve support for young carers in all forms of education and training. Ofsted will: 1. Consult on a reformed inspection framework for schools, early years and FE and skills.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 03/09/2024

Today @ofstednews.bsky.social published its response to the Big Listen - www.gov.uk/government/c...) It is really pleasing to see Ofsted highlight young carers as a group that children feel inspectors should particularly ask schools about during inspections.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 31/08/2024

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a massive Christmas fan - but mince pies displayed at the Sainsbury's entrance on 31st August?! That is too much even for me...

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 27/08/2024

With the bank holiday over, it means September and party conference season is right around the corner. I'm at Lib Dem Conference again from the Friday night to the Tuesday. If anyone is around and fancies a catch-up/to chat carers/social care, then do send me a message.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 24/08/2024

With the potential end of the Household Support Fund, coupled with the changes to eligibility for Winter Fuel Payment, this winter will be even tougher for unpaid carers already struggling with cost of living pressures. This Autumn Budget will be crucial. carers.org/news-and-med...

carers.org

Soaring energy bills will have devastating effect on 1.8 million carers already living in fuel poverty, Carers Trust warns

A new price cap which will see a typical household's annual energy bill soar by £149 in October, will have a devastating impact on unpaid carers.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 22/08/2024

Really insightful report from @jrf-uk.bsky.social around what care needs are likely to look like over the next ten years. Really welcome it's focus on the need for cross-government work to start now. It also highlights the vital role that local carer services have to play in supporting carers.

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Reposted by Andy McGowan

Ann Kempster @annkempster.com · 22/08/2024

This is NOT good news. This is very bad.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 19/08/2024

So... I go to my local councillors' surgery with our new MP this evening. I may or may not have ended up in the wrong room and with the local bonsai tree club. I can report that they are still looking for more contributions for next month's auction - 2 items currently leaves them somewhat short...🙈

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 19/08/2024

Whilst it's still a few weeks until the start of term in England, the new Working Together to Improve School Attendance statutory guidance comes into force today. The latest figures found 39% of young carers were persistently absent, and their average attendance was 87.7%. Are they on your radar?

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 17/08/2024

Hi all from West Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds) 👋 looking forward to conference next month!

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 17/08/2024

Thursday's A Level results saw an increase in number of young people from backgrounds often classed as 'disadvantaged' accepted to university - but figures suggest that there has been a significant drop in the number of students with caring responsibilities accepted www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/...

thecanary.co

Students with caring responsibilities see massive fall in university admissions

While everyone focuses in the UCAS data showing universities admissions are up, students with caring responsibilities lose out

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 17/08/2024

I work closely with colleagues at The Children's Society who are running a 3-year project specifically about young carers from armed forces families - www.childrenssociety.org.uk/information/... - I sit on the advisory group for the project so really happy to link you in with them if helpful?

childrenssociety.org.uk

The nexus project | The Children's Society

Nexus is a three year project funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Trust. The project aims to improve support for young carers within Armed Forces families.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 16/08/2024

With new Working Together to Improve School Attendance taking effect from Monday - really interested to know if young carers are a group of pupils on the radar in your work on attendance. Our report out next month has got really stark findings around young carers and attendance/persistent absence.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 16/08/2024

As we approach the weekend, just wanted to introduce myself as lots of new connections made in the move from X. I work for Carers Trust leading their policy work around young carers. We have got a report/conference about young carers and education next month - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/transformi...

eventbrite.co.uk

Transforming Educational Opportunities For Young Carers

Eventbrite - Carers Trust presents Transforming Educational Opportunities For Young Carers - Thursday, September 26, 2024 - Find event and ticket information.

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 16/08/2024

Yes please - I work for a national carers charity (Carers Trust)

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Andy McGowan @andymcgowan.bsky.social · 16/08/2024

Thank you! This was the list I was looking for!

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