Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm very pleased to be able to contribute to this debate on young adult carers, and I move the amendment on the importance of respite care for young carers.

Of course, Janet Finch-Saunders has described the landscape for young carers very well. I won't expand on that. But I'm also contributing this afternoon as the Chair of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, because the committee is currently undertaking an inquiry into the impact of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 in relation to carers. The committee has completed its evidence gathering and is in the stages of drafting the report with a view to publishing before the summer recess, so we don't want to pre-empt any of the committee’s findings in this debate.

However, as part of the inquiry earlier this year, on Young Carers Awareness Day—which was on 31 January this year—the committee devoted a day to young carers to hear their views on how well the Act is working for them. We spoke to a group of young carers aged between 10 and 22 from across Wales, and in this short contribution, I will outline some of the key issues heard by the committee that face young carers in Wales today.

Many young carers have significant responsibilities, both for the person with an illness or disability, and for other family members. This can include providing emotional support as well as help with health needs, mobility and domestic tasks. In some cases, this can occupy a considerable amount of time, which affects young carers' education as well as their social lives and their leisure opportunities. The impact of caring on children and young people is substantial, and young carers face worse prospects than their peers, for example in terms of jobs and accessing higher education.

The number of young carers is increasing, as is the complexity of their needs. Young carer support schemes play a vital role in facilitating leisure activities and opportunities for young carers to meet and share their experiences and to support each other. They support young carers who, on average, provide between 15 and 20 hours per week of care.

The approach of local authorities to the assessment of the needs of young carers under the Act is also variable. Some young carers have not had their own needs assessed, while others have been assessed without being aware of it. Young carers' needs should be assessed in the family context, and not in isolation. Evidence from third sector bodies suggests that the steps that are taken to prioritise young carers have declined during the last five years.

School can be an important source of support for young carers. Getting good support in school can often depend on the commitment of an individual teacher, and awareness of young carers and the support that they need is often poor across the school as a whole. Many young carers do not feel supported at school, and not all young carers are aware of the support available to them in this setting. Some young carers are reluctant to identify themselves at school for fear of facing stigma or bullying, especially if they are caring for a person with mental health issues. Young carers say that it's important to have someone at school who they feel that they can trust and who understands the challenges that they face as young people who have caring duties for other people.

I very much look forward to bringing this important report forward to the Assembly later this year. Thank you very much.