Young Carers Pack designed by young carers for young carers

News - 16 March 2026

The local NHS has launched a new pack to support young carers and their families in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR).

After working with staff and carers in September 2023, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) signed up to the national Carers Trust Triangle of Care (TOC) programme, strengthening the partnership between service users, their carers and health professionals.

Following this commitment, LPT’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), the Youth Advisory Board, and young carers from Leicestershire Young Carers worked together to create the all new Young Carers Pack which is designed by young carers, for young carers.

The pack brings together practical guidance, local support information and real insights from people who understand all about the range and challenges of caring responsibilities for young people. It will help young carers – and family members and professionals – feel more informed, supported and connected.

The pack includes:

A clear explanation of what a young carer is and the roles they may take on

Key facts about young carers

Tips and advice directly from young carers

Information about local services and support across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

An animated video featuring a local young carer sharing her experiences

A poem written by a young carer

To find out more, visit: https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/news/new-pack-to-help-young-carers-across-….

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Enter & View report Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) – The Beacon Unit

Children and young people’s mental health is a priority focus area for local Healthwatch.
Healthwatch Leicester, Healthwatch Leicestershire and Healthwatch Rutland visited the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) – The Beacon Unit at Glenfield Hospital to gather young people’s views and experiences of the service provided and to observe the environment and operation of the facility.

Patient and staff feedback during the visit emphasised the importance of consistent care and better meal options. While staff acknowledged a supportive team culture, they also pointed out challenges like reliance on agency workers and variability in care routines. Overall, the sentiment from the visit reflected a committed service working under challenging conditions to provide tailored support for young people.

Following the visit, we have made several recommendations including:

Revise the food menu using feedback from the young people, to include more appealing, age-appropriate food options that can be pre-ordered to avoid waste.
Implement standardised routines and practices across all staff to ensure consistent care for patients, reducing confusion and variability in patient experiences.
Develop a plan to increase the utilisation of The Beacon, allowing it to provide dedicated support for young people and adolescents with moderate symptoms who do not require inpatient treatment.
Harsha Kotecha, Chair, Healthwatch Leicester and Healthwatch Leicestershire said,

“Our recent visit to the CAMHS Beacon Unit allowed us to hear directly from young people and observe the services and facilities first hand. We remain committed to working closely with local health providers to ensure that these services meet the needs of all young people in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.”

Dr Janet Underwood, Chair, Healthwatch Rutland said,

“It was encouraging to hear positive feedback from young people in the unit about daily activities and how supportive staff are. Our representatives found the setting to be appealing and well-equipped. Food choices are an area for improvement and we encourage the unit to work with the young patients to make it more palatable.”

Read the report
https://healthwatchll.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/HWLLR-Enter-View-Child-and-Adolescent-Mental-Health-Service-CAMHS-The-Beacon-Unit-report-July-2024.pdf
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