How is the ‘young carer’ label working for children and young people seeking to understand their identity and looking for support?
To learn the answer to this question, the University of Birmingham are looking for young adult carers to participate in and become co-researchers in an exciting new research project. To learn the answer to this question, the University of Birmingham are looking for young adult carers to participate in and become co-researchers in an exciting new research project.
Led by Dr Chloe Alexander, a Research Fellow, and Professor Catherine Needham, a Professor of Public Policy and Public Management at the Health Services Management Centre at the University of Birmingham, will be collaborating with Carers Trust Solihull. The primary aim is to find a fresh understanding of what it means to be a ‘Young Carer’.
The project will be made up of a group of 10 young adult carers (aged 16 – 25 years old) and you will be trained by Dr Alexander to become co-researchers. This training will enhance your research skills for this project but also for your current and future education.
It will be your job to collect the views of young carers and young adult carers to build up a picture and better understanding of how they experience the label ‘Young Carer’. You will be supported every step of the way in your contributions to the project.
As co-researchers and carers yourselves, you will be able to make decisions about the research project. This will help ensure authenticity of the results, which will be shared so those making the decisions about your futures will hear the answers directly from young and young adult carers.
For your time and efforts as co-researchers you will also receive monetary payment.
This research opportunity presents an exciting chance for young adult carers to actively contribute to a meaningful project while gaining valuable experience and being compensated for your efforts.
If you are a young adult carer and are interested in finding out answers to new questions, then becoming a co-researcher on this project might just be for you.
If you would like to know more about this project then you can email Chloe Alexander, Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham:
Email: c.j.l.alexander.1@bham.ac.uk
This research is funded by the Centre for Care, a research centre led by the University of Sheffield and funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council.
The project received ethical approval from the University of Birmingham Humanities and Social Science Research Committee (reference: ERN_1268-Dec2023)