Support for Young Carers

What does it mean to be a young carer?

A young carer is someone under 18 who helps look after an adult in their family because of:

• A disability.
• Physical or mental health problems.
• Substance misuse issues (like drugs or alcohol).

What do young carers do?

Young carers do important work like:

Help at home

• They do extra tasks to support their family member.

Emotional support

• They help their family member feel better emotionally.

Many young carers might not know they are carers and that help is available for them too.

• Assessing the Impact: The local council looks at how caring affects the young carer. They want to make sure the child is not doing too much and that school is not affected.
• Assessment: The council will talk to the young carer, their parents, and anyone else the young carer wants involved.

The assessment helps the council understand what support the young carer and their family need.

Council assessment

• The local council looks at how caring affects the young carer.
• They want to make sure the child is not doing too much and that school is not affected.
• The council will talk to the young carer, their parents, and anyone else the young carer wants involved.
• The assessment helps the council understand what support the young carer and their family need.

Getting support

This support can be different depending on where you live but may include:

• Emotional Support: Counselling and drop-in sessions
• Activities: Opportunities to join activities with other young carers
• Grants: Small grants for things needed at home
• Respite Grants: Money to give the carer a break
• Direct Payments and Personal Budgets: Money to help with specific needs

To learn more, you can visit the Child Law Advice section on young carers.

Action for Children

• Service: Work closely with schools, education welfare, children’s social services and GPs to: 
  • Help provide practical and emotional support for young carers.

Barnados

• Service: Provide advice and support on what young carers are entitled to like:
  • Emotional support through counselling and drop-in sessions.
  • Opportunities for young carers to play and learn with other young carers and more.

Carers UK

• Service: Local support directory helps carers find local sources of support.

Child Law Advice

• Service: Provide specialist advice and information on:
  • Child, family and education law to parents, carers and young people.

The Children's Society

• Service: Work in partnership with local and national services to:
  • Support young carers in knowing their rights.
  • Give advice on education, well-being and mental health.