Young carers and young adult carers
A young carer is someone under the age of 18 who helps to look after a relative who has:
- a disability
- illness
- mental health condition
- issues with substance/alcohol misuse.
A young adult carer is someone aged up to 25 with caring responsibilities.
Most young carers and young adult carers care for a parent or sibling. They might also care for a grandparent or someone else in their extended family.
They may be supporting with tasks in the home such as:
- cleaning
- cooking
- helping someone to get dressed
- helping someone to get around their home and the community
- looking after siblings
- providing emotional support, for example:
- listening to someone
- trying to keep them calm
What is the difference between a young carer and another young person who helps in the home?
A young carer has to help because the person they care for cannot meet all their own needs.
Other young people who help in the home take on tasks and responsibilities as part of growing up and gaining independence.
How do we help young carers?
Family Action are commissioned to provide a designated Young Carers Darlington service.
Young Carers Darlington work with Young Carers (5-25), and their families, to provide support where needed. The service ensures that children and young people are protected from inappropriate caring and have the support they need to thrive and enjoy positive childhoods, to achieve their full potential. We support our Carers through a wide-range of activities, from initial assessments to one-to-one sessions, from fun activities to Carer Breaks, and through ensuring we keep the Young Carer at the heart of all we do.
As with all Young Carer services, the service uses a whole family approach to help ensure that our Young Carers and their families receive the integrated, co-ordinated and solution-focused support they deserve. Identifying problems early means that services (multi-agency) can work closely together and help prevent a family’s needs escalating, ultimately requiring more intensive intervention.
Young Carers are offered a Full Young Carer Needs Assessment which identifies the level of caring and how this is impacts the person. Resulting in a support plan, developed with the Young Carers input, the assessment aims to look at how we can help reduce the impact of caring, and help ensure that the young person is offered the same life opportunities as their peers.
The help you can receive
- Young Carer Needs Assessment
- Signposting, information and advice
- Whole family support
- One to one sessions
- 5 ‘High Five’ support sessions (annually), focusing on the High Five outcomes: Be Safe, Be Heard, Be a Voice, Be Healthy, and, Be Strong
- Peer Support when needed
- Access to Carer Breaks
- An ambassador programme for those moving on from the service who wish to use their experience to benefit their peer
Why do young carers need support?
Being a young carer can affect many areas of a young person’s life. This could include school, college, employment and socialising.
A young person's caring role may become over demanding or inappropriate. This may lead to isolation from their peers. They may have less opportunities to reach their full potential.
Caring for someone is a big responsibility. Worry and stress can affect education attendance and achievement. This can have an impact on a young carer’s mental health.
How to contact?
Young Carers Darlington
Saint Teresa’s Hospice,
91 Woodland Rd,
Darlington, DL3 7UA
tel: 01325 794 888
email: [email protected].
Further information
Website: https://www.family-action.org.uk/what-we-do/children-families/young-carers-darlington/
Family Action YC Services Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FamilyActionYoungCarers/