Carers First is excited to announce the we are running another series of Family Empowerment Workshops, designed with and for young carers and parents living or caring for someone in Medway with a mental health condition.
Working in partnership with North Kent Mind, Carers First is offering young carers and families in Medway the opportunity to attend our new Family Empowerment Workshops. The workshops which take a whole-family approach, provide space for young carers to learn more about looking after yourself while supporting someone with mental health needs.
The community-based Family Empowerment Workshops, which begin on 14 January, aim to increase resilience, improve wellbeing, and develop knowledge and new strategies to help young carers and parents to be more resourceful to help them thrive in their caring role.
Carers First is offering the course for young carers and parents who want to better manage their mental health, or better manage caring for someone with mental health difficulties in their family. The workshops will provide the tools to empower carers to live their lives to the fullest whilst also improving confidence in their caring role. There will also be the opportunity for carers to connect with others during the workshop information sessions and a joint cooking activity, where participants will prepare and cook a lunch to eat together, providing the opportunity to form peer support networks with others in similar situations by sharing and learning from others’ experiences.
Nikki Brooker, Young Carers Team Lead for Medway, spoke about how the new Family Empowerment workshops which offer a family approach, will help to support more families caring for a relative with mental health difficulties:
“It can be easy to forget your own health and wellbeing when caring. Caring for someone else can be emotionally complex. It can be a very rewarding experience, yet sometimes can leave people feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and isolated which can take a huge toll on our own health.
“Obtaining relevant information and support to manage can also be an added challenge, but with it, carers and families can thrive. This is why Carers First is offering these workshops to support families to identify and focus on steps to help young carers and families better manage their own emotional and psychological wellbeing or for the person you are caring for to enable young carers and their families to thrive and live their lives to the fullest.”
Every carer's story is different, yet the issues they face are often similar. With up to 1.5 million people in the UK are caring for someone with a mental health problem (1), 72% of carers saying they had suffered mental ill health as a result of caring (2) and 8 in 10 people
caring for loved ones saying they have felt lonely or socially isolated (2), it is imperative that young carers and parents are empowered to better manage their own mental health, and have the emotional tools to support their cared for with their mental health.
Looking after a person with a mental health issue can have a significant impact on a carer’s own mental health. COVID-19 is having a dramatic impact on young and young adult carers emotional wellbeing, exacerbating existing challenges. Carers Trust (2020) ‘over-dependence on young and young adult carers has created a ticking timebomb with their mental health and wellbeing being placed at serious risk’.
97.6% (2021) of young and young adult carers in Medway registered with us support a cared-for with a mental health need. Research shows that young and young adult carers mental health has worsened during the pandemic and they are feeling less connected to others (Carers Trust 2020). However, there is a long waiting list for mental health services in Medway and those displaying the most severe needs are prioritised, leaving behind the rest.
One young adult carer, who we support said:
“Caring for my mum with her mental health, has made me feel sad and lonely and I cannot talk to my friends as they don’t understand”.
Poor mental health is also associated with deprivation (Mental Health Foundation. Poverty and Mental Health, 2016) and Medway is in the top 12% most deprived neighbourhoods in England for Income (Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2019) and Child Poverty. Research also shows that income for families with a young carer is £5,000 less than those without a young carer (Children’s Society, 2017).
(2) Carers UK's State of Caring 2018 Survey: Facts and figures - Carers UK
The workshops will begin on Saturday 14 January and will be held on every second Saturday of the month until April. Families who attend all four sessions will receive a £50 John Lewis voucher. If you are interested in attending these workshops, or would like to find out more, please click here.
Online Help and Advice
Visit our online support section where we have provided advice and guidance on a range of relevant topics to help you in your caring role.