Video: Do you work around young people and what to look for to identify a young carer?
What it means to be a Young Carer
A young carer is someone under 18 who helps to look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. Typically, young carers usually look after their parents or care for a brother or sister.
Young carers may do extra jobs in and around the home, such as cooking, cleaning, or helping someone get dressed and move around and may also give a lot of physical help to a parent, brother or sister who's disabled or ill. Along with doing things to help family member(s), young carers may be giving them emotional support, too.
Some people begin to provide care at a very young age and don't really realise they're carers. Other young people become carers overnight.
Hidden carers
Some families who are caring for a loved one have strong networks of support and may have young carers who are very resilient, self motivated, have good life skills early on, and are able to cope well with looking after a family member’s health.
On the flip side, there are children who care for a family member who either experience mental ill health or misuse substances, who are often ‘hidden’ due many young people not seeing themselves as carers due to either the episodic nature of their family members illness or fear surrounding the stigma associated with the illness or condition.
For many young carers, caring and supporting a family member has become normal to them. They may not always recognise that they are in fact carrying out a very responsible and important role, therefore it is vital that the awareness of young carers is raised amongst professionals and adults who form part of their support network.
In the UK, it is estimated that 1 in 5 school children are caring
In the UK, it is estimated that over 800,000 children between the ages of 5 and 17 are caring for an adult or family member. With 1 in 5 school children predicted to be caring, it is vital that young carers are identified at the earliest opportunity; to enable them to access the support available and give them the chance to be a child and thrive in their caring role.
The main barrier to young carers accessing support is identification. Many young people do not see themselves as young carers or are ‘missed’ by professionals who are best placed to refer them for support. This is why raising awareness of young carers and the importance of early identification is paramount. The earlier a young carer is identified and made aware to the school or carers organisation such as Carers First; the sooner that support for the young carer can be put into place.
We spoke to Abida, who was recently identified as a young carer, she said:
“To be honest, I wasn’t aware that I am a young carer until recently. Once my college came to know about the additional responsibilities I have at home, they understood the situation and made sure I was receiving the support I needed.” Abida, Young Carer
Had Abida, not had a conversation with her college, she may not have found out about the support available to her.
Sometimes, the word ‘carer’ can cause confusion as people use it to describe care workers or personal assistants. When Carers First talk about carers, we mean unpaid carers.
Tell tale signs - What to look out for
Is the young person…
- Often late, or absent from school with little explanation
- Falling behind on school or college work, handing in homework late or incomplete.
- Secretive about home life
- Showing signs of poor hygiene or diet
- Displaying disruptive behaviour.
- Talks openly about family health issues
- Becomes uncomfortable when addressing various health topics.
Are you aware if a young person’s family member...
- Experiences illness, disability, mental ill health or has a history of substance misuse?
- Often misses appointments with school/other professionals?
- Is difficult to engage with or contact the child’s parents/carers?
We understand that caring can be hard, but we believe that getting the right support shouldn’t be. If you are a young carer, or a child you know is caring for someone who couldn’t manage without them, Carers First can help.
Register with us, or refer a carer to us
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.