Daniel is currently a Visiting Fellow at the University of Winchester and a Senior Researcher at the Careum School of Health, Zurich.
Daniel has worked in the field of young carers for over 20 years. As a former teacher, Daniel worked for six years as a Manager of a local young carer service, before working at a national level for the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and subsequently Carers Trust for nine years. In his role at Carers Trust, Daniel helped develop both policy and practice for young carers and young adult carers and led on the first Young Carers Awareness Day event in the UK. He sat on the National Young Carers Coalition and attended the ADASS Carers Policy Network Group. In 2016 Daniel was invited to feed into a Department of Health working group on the new Government Carers Strategy. he has advised on the development of the first young carers support in Brussels, Belgium and is currently part of an International Advisory Board for developing support for young carers in Switzerland.
International
Internationally Daniel have been interviewed by DW news (2019) and has presented widely, for example on behalf of Eurocarers (for whom I am an Observer Member) at ‘The Annual Convention on Inclusive Growth 2017’ in Brussels and at the 6th International Carers Conference, in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2015. He has made presentations in Switzerland, Italy and Germany and advised on the development of the first young carers support in Brussels, Belgium. In the last few years Daniel has been part of an International Advisory Board for young carers in Switzerland. Daniel is an Observer Member of Eurocarers and has been involved with the Eurocarers Research Group.
Consultancy
Daniel has worked on a variety of projects including for The Children’s Society on the Seldom Heard Young Carers Programme (2020) funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and for Carers Trust on the Carer Passport scheme project (2017) funded by the Department of Health and Social Care
Working with local authorities and commissioning
Daniel has worked extensively with local authorities providing support with capacity building, strategy and service design:
Daniel led for Carers Trust on the development and delivery of the England wide programme, ‘Making a Step Change for Young Carers and their Families: Putting it into practice’ (2015-2016). This partnership project between Carers Trust and The Children’s Society, funded by the Department for Education, supported the effective implementation by local authorities of the duties required under the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014 with regard to young carers and their families.
Key publications: Phelps, D (2012), Commissioning Services for Young Carers and their Families (Carers Trust, 2012) and its sister publication: Phelps, D (2011), Preparing Young Carers’ Services for Commissioning (The Princess Royal Trust for Carers).
Daniel worked on the DCSF funded Include Partnership Project in partnership with The Children’s Society (2008-2010): Supporting nine local authorities develop strategies for young carers and families and joint working protocols.
Daniel represented The Hampshire Young Carers Alliance on The Hampshire multi-agency Steering group (2001-2007)
Public speaking and chairing at conferences
Daniel has presented at a wide range of events both in the UK and abroad:
In 2021, Daniel has 4 x abstracts accepted for the Please note that the 3rd International Young Carers Conference that will take place online, from the 3rd to the 6th May 2021.
Daniel has twice chaired the Public Policy Exchange event on young carers (2018 and 2021)
In 2015, Daniel presented at the 6th International Carers Conference in Gothenburg, Sweden on ‘Protecting the health, well-being and life chances of young carers through a whole school approach’.
In 2017, Belgium, presented on ‘Protecting the well-being and life chances of young carers’ at the European Commissions ‘Annual Convention on Inclusive Growth 2017’ in Brussels.
Working with universities
With the universities of Winchester and Nottingham, Daniel through Carers Trust, set up the National Network of Universities supporting Young Adult Carers to support the development of the publication: Phelps, D and Warren, S (2015), Supporting Students with Caring Responsibilities: Ideas and Practice for Universities to Help Student Carers Access and Succeed in Higher Education England version (Carers Trust).
In his role as Researcher (young carers) at the University of Winchester, Daniel undertook a small study to explore the experiences of student carers in relation to learning and teaching at the University of Winchester.
Working young carer services
Daniel managed a young carer service in Hampshire for six years where he developed a comprehensive, district-wide service, with a strong programme of youth activities, activity days, family events and a strong volunteer-run befriending scheme, as well as an innovative and influential schools programme.
After working at a local level, Daniel worked for Carers Trust (formally the Princess Royal Trust for Carers (PRTC)) at a national level for nine years, Daniel held responsibility for supporting the network of around 100 young carer services across the UK, carried out development service reviews and led on a monthly e-Bulletin.
Whilst at Carers Trust, Daniel wrote two key publications to inform the commissioning of young carer services.
Three year evaluation for the University of Winchester of the provision of support for young carers and their families across the county of Hampshire (UK). I produced a suite of reports and worked closely with the 10 projects to share the learning, help them understand the findings and support them to embed new ways of working within their practice (through a conference, workshops and individual support with the HYCA lead).
Please email Daniel to request his cv : daniel(at)youngcarers.info