Young Carers

A young carer is someone who is likely to be regularly doing some or all of the following: cleaning, shopping, cooking, checking medication, helping with personal care, cheering someone up, interpreting, paying bills.

Watch a film, which has been put together by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, about caring for a parent with a mental health problem.

It is estimated that there are 175,000 children and young people under the age of 18 who provide some level of unpaid care to another family member who has a disability or illness, mental ill health, learning difficulties or substance misuse problems (ONS, 2003).

Young carers copyright Family Action

Without support, young carers’ educational achievement and development can be significantly affected, because they don’t have time to do homework or socialise with friends.

This is why Family Action delivers a number of Young Carers’ services across England. Locations of services include several within London, Luton, Rochdale and Norfolk. We also deliver a number of services to families affected by parental mental health problems, which include working with children and young people on an outreach basis, in their own homes and in the community.

Our Young Carers service in Rochdale was awarded Beacon status by Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, in recognition of support services provided to all carers during 2005-2006.

Read more about young carers in our Why Families Matter section.

What We DoAt first contact, a worker from the Young Carers’ Service will take some details about the family’s situation and where possible will visit the family. This enables them to find out more about what is needed, start a young carers’ assessment and then agree a plan about the work we will do together.

Direct work with young people will include:

Help to access other services in the community e.g. Connexions
Advocacy on behalf of the young carer and their family e.g. with housing, social care services
Information e.g. about a parent’s illness or disability
Support with any issues at school
Providing a listening ear and arranging counselling if needed
Group work, regular clubs or individual work depending on what each child/young person needs e.g. chill out groups, theatre groups
Activities with other young carers or children and young people in the community to give them a break and have fun, e.g. canoeing, pond-dipping, cinema visits
Chances to have new experiences, learn new skills and be involved in how the service is run, e.g. trips during Easter and summer holidays

As well as these specific services for young carers we offer activities with parents and children together, e.g. after-school cooking clubs with both parents and children.

Some projects work within schools with children, providing counselling sessions or lunchtime discussion groups.

In addition there are often special holiday activities and outings for all the family.

Family Action’s projects often work with children in their homes, providing individual support and information to help children to understand their parents’ illness or disability and to express and understand their own feelings about their situation.

Download our Young Carers Services leaflet.