This resource for schools contains five recommendations for how schools can better support young people affected by a parent’s drinking. These recommendations were developed by young people from Sheffield Young Carers in collaboration with Jo Tedstone, Postgraduate Researcher at Lancaster University.
Throughout the research, young people shared how their parent’s drinking affected them at school and ways they felt schools could better support them and other students who are affected by parental alcohol use.
“I think the days would vary to be fair. Like sometimes it’d be hard, sometimes it’d be okay, sometimes it’d be nothing, or sometimes it’d be everything. It would just go from complete chaos to nothing at all. ””
This briefing is based on research about experiences in secondary school but the young people’s simple yet impactful recommendations are transferable for use by professionals working with young people in any settings.
There is a poster at the back to display in staff rooms and powerful quotes from young people throughout that express some of their pressures, worries and ideas.
“It’s like when you’d be at school, it’d be like you’re in constant fear of like what’s gonna happen next. Like am I going to come home to them being drunk? I’d go to school and I’d be thinking about it the whole time.””
You can download the ‘Feeling Seen’ briefing here.
Cover of ‘Feeling Seen’ briefing with words saying “Feeling Seen: How secondary schools can better support young people affected by a parent’s drinking” and an image of a teenager looking worried
*Names have been changed