Young Carers
Are you under 18 and providing care for a member of your family or extended family who has a long term illness, disability, drug/alcohol related illness or mental ill health?
Who is a young carer?
A young carer is a young person who is:
- Under 18 years old
and
- Helps to look after a friend or family member who is ill, disabled or misuses drugs or alcohol.
Young people aged 16 – 25 are sometimes called young adult carers.
Many young carers look after their mum or dad, but some look after their brother or sister, or a grandparent.
Young carers may take on a range of tasks to support the people they care for, such as:
- Shopping
- Cooking
- Cleaning
- Managing medicines or money
- Providing personal care
- Childcare
- Helping people to get out of the house
- Keeping an eye on someone
- Providing emotional support
When a young person has to take on too much responsibility, it can become a problem. Caring can affect:
- Your feelings
- Your health and wellbeing
- How well you do in school, college or university
- Your social life
- Future opportunities
If you think that you might be a young carer, or you know someone who is a young carer, it can help to talk to someone about your situation. It can help you and the person you care for to get the support you need.
Ceredigion’s Young Carers Support Service, Gofalwyr Ceredigion Carers, offers one to one support to children and young people who care for a family member or friend with an illness, disability, or misuses drugs or alcohol.
Gofalwyr Ceredigion Carers can help with:
Information and advice
- Individual and group support
- Trips and fun activities
- School visits
- Accessing other support services
Supporting Young Carers in Ceredigion
For more details and to access the service please contact:
Gofalwyr Ceredigion Carers
03330 143 377
ceredigion@credu.cymru
www.gofalwyrceredigioncarers.cymru/youngcarers
Booklet: Information for Young Carers
Why do we need to act now to identify, signpost and support Young Carers?
Young Carers sometimes have to cope with depression, guilt, isolation, worry, anxiety & stress. This in turn can lead to:
- Loneliness
- Bullying
- Low school attendance
- Lack of social skills
- Low educational attainment
- Missed opportunities
- Neglect
- Mental health problems
- Breach of rights under United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC)
- Missed social and educational opportunities
What Young Carers may do:
- Practical tasks – washing, cooking or ironing
- Personal care – bathing and dressing
- Emotional support – offering a "listening ear"
- Physical lifting and carrying
- Assisting with medication or collecting prescriptions
- Helping look after younger siblings
- Ensuring safety
- Managing the family budget and paying bills
- Interpreting
How can you recognise a Young Carer?
They may....
- Be secretive about their home life
- Appear tired
- Be late for school or activities
- Rarely go out with friends
- Appear anxious or worried all the time
- Show signs of problem behaviour
- Be missing school
- Seem withdrawn or depressed
- Have poor health or personal hygiene
- Struggle to concentrate and seem distant
What you need to do:
If you recognise a Young Carer please ensure you offer them support and provide information and/or signposting using the key contacts below.
These are one of our most vulnerable groups in society. This is now your duty under the new legislation.
Key contact if you identify a Young Carer:
Ceredigion Contact Centre:
Tel: 01545 574000
Minicom: 01545 574001
Email: contact-socservs@ceredigion.gov.uk
Why do we need to act now to identify, signpost and support young carers?
Young carers sometimes have to cope with depression, guilt, isolation, worry, anxiety & stress. This in turn can lead to:
- Loneliness
- Bullying
- Low school attendance
- Lack of social skills
- Low educational attainment
- Missed social and educational opportunities
- Neglect
- Mental health problems
- Breach of rights under United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC)
What young carers may do:
Practical tasks – washing, cooking or ironing
- Personal care – bathing and dressing
- Emotional support – offering a "listening ear"
- Physical lifting and carrying
- Assisting with medication or collecting prescriptions
- Helping look after younger siblings
- Ensuring safety
- Managing the family budget and paying bills
- Interpreting
They may...
- Be secretive about their home life
- Appear tired
- Be late for school or activities
- Rarely go out with friends
- Appear anxious or worried all the time
- Show signs of problem behaviour
- Be missing school
- Seem withdrawn or depressed
- Have poor health or personal hygiene
- Struggle to concentrate and seem distant
What you need to do:
If you recognise a young carer please ensure you offer them support and provide information and/or signposting using the key contacts below.
Key contact if you identify a young carer:
Ceredigion Contact Centre:
01545 574000
contact-socservs@ceredigion.gov.uk