Commentary on Sections PART 5 – WELFARE OF CHILDREN Section 96: Young carers
407.This section consolidates existing rights for young carers, in particular from the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 and the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000, and insert new sections into Part 3 of the Children Act 1989.
408.This section also extends the right to an assessment of needs for support to all young carers under the age of 18 regardless of who they care for, what type of care they provide or how often they provide it. It requires a local authority to carry out an assessment of a young carer's needs for support on request or on the appearance of need, and provides for local authorities to combine the assessment of a young carer with an assessment of the person they care for. Previously, a young carer had to request such an assessment. The section enables the Secretary of State to make regulations making provision about the carrying out of a young carer’s needs assessment. Those regulations may, in particular, specify matters to which a local authority is to have regard or is to determine in carrying out the assessment, the manner in which an assessment is to be carried out and the form that assessment is to take.