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Harry’s Pledge-inspired APPG launched to support parent carers
A sector-backed campaign to improve social landlords’ support for parent carers has hit a “significant milestone” as a new all-party parliamentary group (APPG) has been set up to push for change.
Harry’s Pledge-inspired APPG launched to support parent carers #UKhousingA campaign to improve social landlords’ support for parent carers has hit a “significant milestone” as a new all-party parliamentary group has been set up to push for change #UKhousingThe APPG on Emotional Support for Parent Carers of Seriously Ill and Disabled Children launched last week by Matt Bishop, Labour MP for Forest of Dean.
It aims to ensure that every parent of a child with a severe life-limiting or life-threatening condition has access to statutory emotional support “at the moment their worlds are turned upside down”.
The group was inspired by Hayley Charlesworth’s Harry’s Pledge campaign to improve social landlords’ support for parent carers. It was launched in 2020 with the backing of 50 landlords.
Named after Ms Charlesworth’s son Harry, who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, the campaign called on landlords to do more to support families and commit to building more accessible homes.
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Inside Housing also supported the campaign since it was launched by the Charlesworth family during the Covid pandemic in 2020.
Today, Harry’s Pledge is backed by more than 100 organisations in the sector.
The campaign includes four commitments:
- Be carer-friendly employers
- Build more accessible homes
- Make offices and community spaces as accessible as possible
- Promote care as a valued career choice
Ms Charlesworth’s charity Harry’s Pals, set up to help other parents navigate life-changing diagnoses, will be the secretariat for the APPG.
The charity will be supported by 40,000-home housing association Amplius, which was a driving force behind Harry’s Pledge.
The APPG will be chaired by Mr Bishop, who launched the group after hearing more about the plight of parent carers during an event at the Labour Party Conference in September.
Ms Charlesworth said: “We’re incredibly proud to be the secretariat of this APPG that will be a key catalyst in helping us work towards a future where parents receiving a heartbreaking diagnosis about their child are automatically offered emotional support as standard.
“From personal experience and the experiences of the parents we support at Harry’s Pals, we know just how devastating this life-changing news can be. A study by Doctor Siobhan O’Dwyer of Birmingham University shows how deeply this affects parent careers, with 41% of them admitting to thinking about suicide.
“By providing earlier interventions, we can support parents and their children while also reducing the longer-term impact on the NHS and social services.”
Julie Doyle, chief executive of Amplius, said: “Forming the APPG represents a real milestone moment for the Harry’s Pledge campaign and I’m so proud of the leading role that Amplius has played.
“Being in parliament and hearing how engaged a range of MPs and peers are with this issue gives me real hope that more support will be provided to parents with critically ill children.
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to Matt Bishop MP and his team for making this happen, and to all of the people and organisations who have supported Harry’s Pledge.
“This focus on parent carers is just one of the four commitments set out in the pledge as we look to enhance accessibility across the housing sector and ensure greater support and recognition for people who provide care and those they care for.”
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