What is a young carer?
A young carer is someone aged 25 and under who cares for a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, cannot cope without their support. Older young carers are also known as young adult carers and they may have different support needs to younger carers.Young carers provide help by doing things like:
- jobs around the house
- shopping
- helping with personal care (bathing, getting dressed)
- giving medication
- providing emotional support
- helping with finances
- looking after themselves or their brothers and sisters.
Young carers can often find life tiring, worrying and lonely. Being a carer can affect a young person in many ways – including social isolation, bullying, difficulties with school attendance and achievement, and physical and mental ill health themselves.
How do we support young carers?
The Young Carers Service will assess a young person on an individual basis taking into account their caring role and its impact.
From then we work with the young person and their family to come up with a plan of support.
This support is intended to reduce the impacts of their caring by building young carers’ confidence, resilience and improving their health and well-being.
Our support can include:
- 1-1 listening support
- Tailored projects
- Peer to peer work
- Support with education, employment, training and transition
- Advocacy and family support
Support in Education
If you are a professional:
The Young Carer Team can come in to any educational settings and support young carers via:
- Supporting a Carer Lead
- Training staff around Young Carer awareness and support
- Helping Identify Young Carers within the school
- Supporting your Young Carers directly
- Delivering assemblies
- Supporting the setting up of Young Carer groups or projects
- Help signposting to relevant services
- Support your school through the national charter mark of https://youngcarersinschools.com/ young Carers in School mark
If you are a Young Carer:
Support is available for you as a young carer and if you require support from school then we would advise you to approach a trusted member of staff to guide you in the right direction of support.
If you would rather we contacted the school on your behalf, then feel free to get in touch with us and we can discuss the next steps.
To further support you in school we have worked with Together For Children to provide young carers with a Young Carers Card which would help identify you in school as a young carer so that the school could account for any additional support you may require.
Meet our team
Chris Ranson
Young Carer & Engagement Team Lead
christopher@sunderlandcarers.co.uk
Andrea Clark
Young Carer & Family Support Link Worker
andrea@sunderlandcarers.co.uk
Jenna Green
Young Carer & Family Support Link Worker
jenna@sunderlandcarers.co.uk
Jennifer Lincoln
Young Carer & Family Support Link Worker
jennifer@sunderlandcarers.co.uk
Tracey Sassoon
Young Carer & Family Support Link Worker
tracey@sunderlandcarers.co.uk
Refer in for support.
To access support please refer in via our online referral form.