Skip navigation

The Bridge supports young carers and their families across County Durham. The service ensures that children and young people are protected from inappropriate caring and have the support they need to learn, develop and thrive, to enjoy positive childhoods and to achieve their full potential.

The service uses a whole family approach, which ensures that both children and parents are able to get the support they need, at the right time, ensuring families receive integrated, co-ordinated, multi-agency, solution focused support. By identifying problems early, all services can work more closely together to help prevent a family’s needs escalating and requiring intervention that is more intensive.

All young carers are offered a full young carers needs assessment which identifies the level of caring and how this is impacting on the young person’s life. A Plan is then put in place with the young carer and their family to support to reduce the impact of caring, remove inappropriate and ensure that the young person is allowed the same life opportunities are their peers.

Our support

Support for young carers is offered through a range of methods including;
  • Young Carers Assessment
  • Whole family support
  • One to one sessions
  • Five “High Five” support sessions throughout the year which focus on the High Five outcomes; Be Safe, Be Heard, Be a Voice, Be Healthy and Be Strong
  • Peer support where a need is identified
  • Access to Carers Breaks
  • An Ambassadors programme for young people moving on from The Bridge Young Carers Support who wish to use their experience to benefit their peers
The Bridge also offers support to schools and organisations through the Neighbourhood Charter to ensure that effective support is being put in place for Young Carers. The support helps staff identify signs that someone may be a young carer and know where to refer to for support, have a policy for supporting young carers and also have processes in place that make it easy for young people accessing their provision to self-identify as a young carer.

Get in touch

If you would like to access support from The Bridge or are interested in volunteering you can contact us via:

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 0191 383 2520 (Monday – Thursday 9am – 2.30pm)

Useful information

Visit Family Action’s Young Carers webpage to hear about the experiences of a young carer, and to find out about other Family Action Young Carers services.

In 2018 The Bridge received support through an NHS England Community grant to create a short film highlighting work with young carers. You can view a short version of the film below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Details


Find us

Family Action c/o Butterwick Hospice
Woodhouse Lane
Bishop Auckland
County Durham DL14 6JU

Phone: 01913832520
Email: [email protected]