Leeds Young Carers Support Service

How our service can help

Leeds Young Carers Support Service provides specialist information, advice and support for young carers, their families and the organisations working with them across Leeds. The aim across the whole partnership in Leeds is to ensure that no child or young person’s life is unnecessarily or inappropriately affected because they are providing care, and that those who are being cared for receive appropriate and timely care and support.  We also promote advocacy for young carers to ensure they have a voice and a chance to influence services and provision in the area.  Here’s some more information about what we do:

Information and Advice

We provide information and advice to young carers, their families and practitioners who are supporting them, so that young carers and their families are getting the right level of support appropriate to their needs

Awareness Raising

Our Community Engagement Practitioners deliver practice development and training opportunities to local organisations to support them to identify young carers, break down barriers, assess their needs, offer support and promote services and activities available to them in their local community.  We are currently piloting a “We Are Young Carers Friendly Leeds” programme, which organisations can work through to demonstrate their commitment to young carers

Specialist Support

Following a whole family approach, and working with other professionals as appropriate, our Young Carers Practitioners can undertake a young carer’s needs assessment which seeks to determine:

• The amount, nature and type of care which the young carer provides
• The impact of the caring role on the young carer’s wellbeing, education and personal and emotional development
• Whether any of the caring tasks the young carer is performing are excessive or inappropriate, having regard to all the circumstances
• Whether a needs assessment of the cared for person (be they a child or adult) has been carried out, and if not, to request one
• Whether any of the young carer’s needs for support could be met by providing support or services to:
  • The person cared for (by the young carer) or
  • Another member of the young carer’s family
• What the young carer’s needs for support would likely be if he or she were relieved of part or all of his or her caring role and whether the young carer has any remaining unmet needs

Following assessment, we agree or contribute towards an outcomes-focused plan with the young carer, their family and practitioners who are providing support around the family.  Actions on the plan are followed up and reviewed regularly, so that we can evidence that no child or young person’s life is unnecessarily or inappropriately being affected because they are providing care, and that those who are being cared for receive appropriate and timely care and support.

PLEASE NOTE – we are currently working with our Leeds Young Carers Partnership on a new “No Wrong Doors for Young Carers” pathway for Leeds, with associated guidance and tools for practitioners.  Please watch this space for more information coming soon!

What makes us a Specialist Service?

• We only focus on the young carer – not the whole family
• We have a wealth of knowledge and skills to identify and support the needs of young carers
• We have knowledge of physical and mental health illnesses and the negative impact this might have on a young carer
• We help to empower young carers to reach their potential in areas such as emotional wellbeing, education, social skills and relationships
• We deliver specialist group work to enable young people to meet other young carers and make new friendships
• We identify if young carers have any additional needs and help them access specialist support. This can include, for example, specialist support or counselling relating to substance misuse, child exploitation or domestic violence & abuse
• We offer a variety of activities throughout the year for young carers
• We use a wide range of resources and tools to help young carers that help to:
o Learn coping strategies to help in their caring role
o Build resilience, confidence and self-esteem
o Identify triggers for anxiety, depression, anger and frustration
o Widen their support and social network