A world leader on young carers’ research, policy, and practice, Saul Becker was the guest speaker at the 2022 Low-Beer Memorial Lecture. A young carer himself in his childhood, Saul pioneered this field and has worked with children and young adults with caring responsibilities for 30 years.

A young carer is someone under the age of 25 who takes care of a family member who has a chronic illness, disability, mental health or substance use issue, and/or problems related to old age. In his talk, Saul will describe the challenges of caring at a young age and the risk factors and benefits associated with it. He will describe international responses and the evolution of research, policy, and practice in support of young carers.

Saul is Professor of Children and Families at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, formerly the Provost of the University of Sussex, and former Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Social Sciences at the University of Birmingham.

Sauls’ accolades, among others, include 56 research awards as Principal Investigator, and 570 publications and invited keynote conference papers, including 18 books. He advises governments, policy makers, and practitioners around the world. In 2020, he was named as a “Role Model” by AccessHE for his research which has “put young carers at the heart of many universities widening participation plans”. He was also named by Universities UK as one of the “Nation’s Lifesavers” – “100 individuals or groups based in universities whose work is making a life-changing difference”.

This lecture was held online on October 13, 2022.