Caring

What is a young carer?

A young carer is someone aged 18 or under whose life is affected by caring for at least one family member, over and above just ‘helping out’. These might be for a range of reasons including because of a:

Disability
Illness
Mental health problem
Drug and alcohol related issues

Young carers can provide both practical support, possibly by cooking, cleaning, shopping or providing personal care and medication, and emotional support by simply being there for company and love.

There are a large number of young carers living and caring for their relatives in the UK. You can find out more facts about young carers here.

Help for young carers

Young carers may find it rewarding to support the members of their family whom they care for but if you are a young carer you have the right to be looked after and supported.

If you feel like your caring responsibilities are getting too much and they are having an impact on your own health then you need to talk to a trusted adult for support. You could talk to a teacher, school nurse or your GP. You may be able to receive some mental health and wellbeing support from us-find out how to contact us here.

There are also other local organisations who can offer you support and advice as a young carer, find out more about them by following the links below.