Young Carers

Young Carers Support

Who is a young carer?

A young carer is a child or young adult who spends time looking after and helping a member of their family, or a close friend, with everyday tasks they can no longer manage because of illness or disability. A network of local independent charities provides support to carers and the people they care for.

Young carers may look after parents, care for a brother or sister, or another family member. The average age of a young carer is 12 and they take on responsibilities normally only expected of an adult.

If you are a child, and think you could be a young carer, or you are a parent and you think your child is a young carer, please speak to Miss Shakespeare – Young Carers Lead at Stockland Green School for more information on the support available on 0121 566 4300.

Young carers research:

• 27% of young carers (aged 11–15) miss school or experience educational difficulties (40% where children care for a relative with drug or alcohol problems) (Dearden, C, Becker, S, 2004).
• A quarter of young carers said they were bullied at school because of their caring role (Sempik, J & Becker, S, 2013).
• They are more likely than the national average not to be in education, employment, or training (NEET) between 16 and 19 (The Children’s Society, 2013).
• Although young carers need extra support, they are no more likely to find it from statutory agencies than other children (The Children’s Society, 2013).
• They have significantly lower educational attainment at GCSE level – the difference between nine Cs and nine Ds (The Children’s Society, 2013).

Additional support for young carers:

Young carers advice – Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust

Birmingham Young Carer’s Hub – 0333 006 9711

www.forwardcarers.org.uk

Carers UK: 0808 808 7777

Homegroup Young Carers Service

Carers Trust: 0844 800 4361

Birmingham – Spurgeons Young Carers