Supporting young carers
Supporting young carers is about
providing practical and emotional support - helping to ensure they
enjoy and achieve just like their peers.
Young carers aren't going to stop caring. But we can help them
feel less alone and give them a break to learn and have fun,
helping them balance their caring responsibilities with just being
a kid.
Working in partnership
Early identification is the key. That's why we work in close
partnership with schools, education welfare, children's social care
services and GPs. We help them identify young carers, raise
much-needed awareness of their situation and offer the support that
they need, when they need it. Teaching our partners to understand
young carers' needs and know which agencies to refer them to are
two ways of doing it.
Our work with schools
It's clear to us that teachers play a crucial role in helping
young carers to reach their educational potential. That's why we
work with teachers to identify young carers and to help them
accommodate the needs of the child. Maintaining ongoing links with
school staff, we do things like presenting at school assemblies to
raise awareness among other pupils.
Healthy Schools toolkit e-learning module
The Department for Education has launched a new e-learning module as part of its Healthy Schools toolkit, to help school staff
who work with young carers.
Emotional and practical support
Our emotional and practical support not only helps young carers
come to terms with their parent's illness - it also helps them
build positive relationships with people outside of the family.
Working with whole families, we link with adult services to make
sure the parents are accessing the relevant support available. The
result is a reduction in the caring responsibilities of the child
or young person.
Taking a break
We provide young carers with regular breaks, access to fun
activities and opportunities to meet other young people in the same
circumstances as them. Most importantly, we relieve them of their
caring responsibilities for a while and let them enjoy being a
child.
Our services include:
- advice and information
- individual support for young carers on a one-to-one basis (and
for parents if required)
- needs assessment of young carers and their family
- opportunities for young people to meet other young carers
- opportunities for young people to join in planned groups and
activities
- signposting to other services if necessary, for young carers
and/or parents
- advocacy work
- monthly parents' drop in
- occasional family outings
- outings for young carers
- help for young carers to access adult services on turning
18
- awareness raising
- work with schools
- multi-agency working