Young Carers
Are you a young person with caring responsibilities?
Joe, Chloe and Abigail are typical young carers.
Joe is 14 and has a sister, Megan, who has autism. Joe helps to support his family in lots of ways – he keeps an eye on Megan while his mother cooks the family meals and does some ironing. Sometimes Joe’s mother cries and then he likes to stay at home and help her instead of going to youth club with his friends. He would like his family to go out more together but realises this is difficult with his sister’s autism.
Chloe, 12, loves her dad a lot but she is embarrassed when he acts a bit differently and her friends laugh at him. Chloe’s mum suffers from depression as a result of the pressures of living with someone with a mental health issue. Chloe has to step in and support both her parents and often takes on household tasks like shopping and cleaning and offers emotional support to both parents.
Abigail, 11, lives with her mum and her mum’s boyfriend. Her mum is an alcoholic and both take drugs. Sometimes Abigail has to miss school to look after them. She goes to secondary school soon and is worried about falling behind in her lessons.
Does this sound like you or anyone you know?
If it does, there is support out there.
The Young Carers Project supports young carers in many ways. We recognise that no two young carers are the same so everyone is offered an assessment of their needs – this is your opportunity to tell how we can support you.
The Young Carers Project offers:
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One to one support
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Time out on your own with someone to talk to
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Group activities
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Signposting to other services
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Training, e.g. First Aid
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Advocacy (someone to care for the person you care for so you can have some time for yourself)
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Respite (someone to care for the person you care for so you can have some time to yourself)
To find out more, contact the Young Carers Project on 01495 769996 or 07843 357857.
To find out how to get an assessment of your needs, telephone Customer Care on 01495 762200.