Norwich young carer hands inquiry letter to Downing Street

Grace said some young carers were facing a postcode lottery of support in the UK

A carer who has spent most of her young life looking after her mother has said she feels it is a "postcode lottery" for those trying to get help.

Grace, 19, and from Norwich, visited Downing Street with other young carers as the first parliamentary inquiry on the issue published its findings.

The Carers Trust handed a letter to Number 10 on Tuesday calling for better support for young carers.

Inquiry chair Duncan Baker said a national strategy was needed.

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The young carers' and young adult carers' inquiry was set up by the dedicated All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and supported by the Carers Trust charity.

About 15,000 children in the UK, including 3,000 aged just five to nine, spend 50 hours or more a week looking after ill or disabled relatives, it found.

For Grace - one of more than 400 carers contributing to the report - the figures were unsurprising.

She has looked after her mother, who has both physical and mental health difficulties, for "as long as I can remember".

Round the clock care

"It's hard - it takes a lot of energy," said Grace, who did not want her surname disclosed.

"But it's not something you can just leave - she looked after me and I'm returning the favour.

"You have to be ready 24-7. Even if you go to school - you have to have your phone on you in case you have to take her to hospital."

She said there seemed to be no standard practice to properly classify children as carers and help them.

"It's a postcode lottery as to how people are identified and whether they get support from authorities," said Grace, speaking to the BBC.

The young carers' inquiry, headed by North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker, recommends the set-up of a national strategy to help children and young people

The inquiry found some young carers waited 10 years before being identified by authorities, while the average waiting time for support was three years - and their life chances were badly affected.

Young carers typically missed 27 school days a year - making it harder to gain qualifications, with more than a third less likely to graduate from university than their peers.

Self-harm was also more common among young carers, the report said.

"We want to shine a light on this issue and try to ensure the government takes us really seriously and can start to help and improve the chances for our young carers," said APPG Conservative vice-chair Mr Baker, who is also MP for North Norfolk.

"We need to look at the legislation and how we can support young carers more."

'Addressing issues'

The Department for Education said policies were in place to both spot and support those in need.

A spokesman said young carers made an "enormous contribution".

He said: "This is why we introduced a legal responsibility on local authorities to identify local young carers and undertaking assessments of their needs.

"Our recently published care strategy outlines new and bolstered services to support families, including young carers, making sure the right team of professionals is put in place to help address issues earlier."