Young Carer
A you
ng carer is someone aged 25 and under who cares for a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, cannot cope without their support. Older young carers are also known as young adult carers and they may have different support needs to younger carers.
How many young carers are there?
The 2011 Census identified 177,918 young carers in England and Wales. One in eight of those were aged under eight. This is widely believed to be the tip of the iceberg, with some estimates suggesting that as many as one in five schoolchildren are young carers (University of Nottingham 2018), with this number increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What's in your school bag? - What might a young carer do?
- Practical tasks, like cooking, housework and shopping.
- Physical care, such as helping someone out of bed.
- Emotional support, including talking to someone who is distressed.
- Personal care, such as helping someone dress.
- Managing the family budget and collecting prescriptions.
- Helping to give medicine.
- Helping someone communicate.
- Looking after brothers and sisters.
I think I might be a young or young adult carer, where can I go for support?
The responsibilities of young and young adult carers vary greatly, so you may be eligible for support, even if you don’t feel like you do a lot of caring. If you think that you might be a young or young adult carer, get in touch with your local carer service. Or you can speak with Mrs Sam Grainger, Young Carer Lead, at school, so you receive the support you need.
Alternatively you can complete the Young Carer questionnaire and Young Carer referral form yourself.
Young carer drop in sessions.
Weekly Young carer Sessions
Further Information
Young Carer ~ Know your rights. Click on the NHS logo 
Caring for Someone ~ take a look at this leaflet
Who cares in School?~ leaflet
Look out for our Young Carer Policy ~ 
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