Young Carers

As a Young Carer you can find helping someone very rewarding, but you also have the right to be looked after.

 

A young carer is a child or young person who provides regular and on-going care and emotional support to a family member with physical or mental health problems, has a disability, or misuses drugs or alcohol. This does not mean the everyday and occasional help around the home that many young people are often expected to give within families.

The key feature of being a 'young carer' is that the caring responsibilities continues over time and can make a young carer vulnerable, when the level of care and their responsibility to the person they look after, becomes excessive or inappropriate and risks impacting on emotional or physical wellbeing, educational achievement and life chances.

Did you know?

  • There are at least 720 young carers in Doncaster
  • 1 in 20 young carers miss school because of their caring responsibilities
  • 63% of young carers in Doncaster care for their mother -
  • 21% care for a sibling

Young Carers often:

  • Help family members to get up, get washed, get dressed or help them with toileting
  • Do lots of household chores like shopping, cleaning, cooking
  • Stay in the house a lot to provide emotional support.
  • Look after brothers and sisters
  • Sort household bills
  • Support a family member who misuses drug or alcohol.

Need to talk?

Sometimes, being a young carer can get too much to deal with on your own or you may be stressed by too much responsibility. If you’re having any of these feelings, talk to your teacher, school nurse, college counsellor or doctor who can help you.

Are you?

  • Feeling tired
  • Worried about your relative’s health
  • Coping with other people’s moods
  • No time for yourself or your homework
  • Missing school
  • Feeling embarrassed about your situation
  • Being bullied
  • Low self-esteem, anxiety, anger or guilt

You’re not alone if any of these happen to you. Young carers miss an average of 48 days of school because of their role and 68% have been bullied at some point directly because of having to care for someone.

Support

Even if you don’t feel like you need help for a problem, it is always good to have the support of others who understand your situation, we can provide you with:

  • 1:1 support
  • Information and advice on things like how to get help for the person you care for or help with finding out about higher or further education
  • Group work, and activities including social groups
  • Advocacy - we can support you in making your voice heard

Additional Support

In recognition that young Adult Carers are part of the ‘wider workforce’ there is training available to support your learning and development, to enhance your knowledge that will further support you whilst in your caring role. Find out more about our Carers Offer.

Social activities

There are social groups that run each week during term time. All Young Carers are welcome to come along make new friends take part in games and activities and have fun! There are also other activities during the school holidays this may include, bowling, visiting the theatre, parks, picnics, or just meeting up with other young carers and lots more!
Please contact us for further information using the contact information at the bottom of the page.

Young Carers Champions

Would you like the chance to support and advocate for children who do an amazing role caring for family members?

We are asking people from a range of settings across Doncaster to become Young Carers Champions. These include schools/ colleges, community groups and health care (GP’s, Hospital, CAMHS)

A Young Carers Champion will be the ‘go to’ or first point of contact ‘identified person’ within a particular setting, someone to talk to about worries and concerns and a link person for the young carers service.

A Young Carers Champion will be able to make sure the setting knows about and understands the young carer's situation. The Champions will represent/advocate for the young carer to ensure they are supported by other staff.

Training will also be made available if required so there’s a full understanding of the role and impact of caring. For more details, contact young.carers@doncaster.gov.uk 

Meet our Young Carers

Eliza - Age 9

When I get home from school I have to help my dad take his shoes and socks off, he struggles to get around as he uses a walking stick so I help him. While my mum cooks tea I play with the boys then set the table ready for tea.

If I didn’t have to help at home I would like to watch TV and text my friends.

My friends think it’s nice that I help out at home because my mum and dad wouldn’t be able to do things with me.

I feel sad that my mum and dad aren’t well enough to do things but I feel proud that I am there to help them.

Kate - Age 14

Mam has epileptic fits and my brother is in a wheelchair, I also have to help my aunty as she has difficulties. When I get home from school I have to go to the primary school and pick up my 4 cousins. Once I have settled them I do some revising for my GCSE’s.

I help at home with hospital appointments and care for them making sure they have their meals, the washing is done and the dishwasher is packed.

I feel happy caring but sometimes it’s a lot when I’m trying to revise for my exams but it’s for my family and I’m the strongest one.

Logan - Age 14

I make tea for my family and make sure my mum has drinks as her back is bad and she is in pain.

I don’t tell many people that I care for my family as I have to do a lot more things than they think I do.

Sometimes I’m happy but sometimes I’m in a bad mood as it gets too much and I get bored of what I need to do.

School provide me with counselling which helps and I enjoy coming to the young carers group, I can just be me and forget about things for a while.

Charlie - Age 12

I care for my mum at home I help her around the house and do things for her when she’s ill. I’m proud to be a young carer as my mum needs me.

Ava - Age 15

I wake up at 5:45 every morning to help my mum care for my brother and sister. Once I have helped them get up and ready for the day I wake my mum up and go to school and she cares for my brother and sister.

When I get home from school, I make tea for the family, sort the washing and clean the house.

At night I help with bathing my brother and younger sister and getting them to bed before I can do my school work or something I want to do.

Some of my friends know that I’m a young carer but only my close friends.

I’m proud to be a carer as I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it, caring does get me down but I know that I’m needed. I couldn’t watch them struggle and looking after them makes me feel like a good person.

Haleema - Age 16

I have to make sure that my mum is taking her tablets for her mental health, I have to watch her moods and how she behaves as sometimes she gets so bad that she has to go to hospital to get better. When she is not well I do the cooking and the cleaning in the house and the shopping. I have to get myself ready for school and make sure that she is ok, I worry about my mum when I’m at school and they don’t know that I am a carer for my mum. I’m not ashamed of my mum but it is a private thing.

Contact us

Contact the Young Carer’s team for further information or to make a referral to gain support from the Young Carer’s team: 01302 736099 or email young.carers@doncaster.gov.uk

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Last updated: 28 October 2024 14:09:24

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