What is a Young Carer A Young Carer

What is a Young Carer? A Young Carer can be many things… Young Carer is someone under the age of 25 who lives with and supports a disabled family member. At KIDS we support young people who are between 8 and 19 years old. They might care or look after a parent or brother or sister who has a physical disability, a mental health condition, a learning difficulty or they might drink too much alcohol or take drugs.

Young Carer Voices

What jobs might a Young Carer have to do or help with at home? • Cooking • Cleaning • Looking after brothers and sisters • Shopping • Calming people down • Helping pay bills • Helping Mum/Dad/Brother/Sister to the hospital or doctors • Staying home instead of being out with friends • Helping someone take medicine

Reasons it is sometimes hard to be a Young Carer… • Have to be grown up • Don’t get to play with friends much • Friends can’t come for tea or have sleepovers • Feeling angry and like it is not fair • Feeling anxious and worried lots of the time • Feeling guilty and like you have too much to cope • Struggle to get homework with done

Reasons it is sometimes good to be a Young Carer… • Learn to be more understanding and patient • Meet other young carers with similar experiences and make new friends • Feel more confident because you are being kind and helpful • Have a close relationship with the person you care for • Learn new things

Where can I get support? Support groups Other family members School Teachers Friends

What do we do? • Young carer support club every two weeks or every half term and holiday. • We go on fun trips and activities chosen by YOU, the children and young people. • Give you someone to talk to • We will talk to teachers and help raise awareness of who may be a young carer and the helpful ways in which to support you. • Listen to YOU and try and do whatever YOU think would help YOU.

I think I might be a Young carer / I think I know someone who might be a Young Carer…. . What do I do next? • Talk to your teacher OR • Ask to talk to me at the end of the assembly

TRUE or FALSE? • If I tell someone I am a young carer my family will be split up and I will be taken away. FALSE • The school don’t care and don’t want to know about my home life. FALSE • Everyone will look at me and treat me differently if I say I am a young carer. FALSE • If I tell my story I will be listened to, NOT judged and supported in a way that is comfortable for me and my family. TRUE

Thank you for listening!