Young carers - support and advice

Young carers are children and young people under the age of 18 who provide care to another family member who has an illness, physical disability, mental health problem, sensory disability, learning difficulty or disability, or is affected by drug or alcohol misuse.

The care they provide would normally be done by an adult and, as a result, this has a big impact on their childhood.

What young carers do

Young carers may do a variety of things for their relative like:

• Cleaning
• Cooking
• Helping with personal care
• Shopping
• Paying bills
• Cheering someone up
• Checking medication
• Interpreting for the person cared for
  

Being a young carer can be hard, causing a young person to feel they do not have enough time for homework, socialising with friends or doing fun things. They may get tired or frustrated and feel that nobody listens to them or knows about them.

What the law says about young carers

Young carers have the same rights as other carers under the NHS and Community Care Act 1990. They can also be considered 'children in need' under the Children's Act 1989 depending on whether or not the local authority thinks the child's caring role prevents them achieving or maintaining a reasonable standard of social opportunities and achieving full school attendance.


Support for young carers

Rochdale Young Carers Service is a support service for 5 to 18 year olds who are caring for or helping to care for a parent or relative with an illness or disability and their families.

The service operates throughout the Rochdale borough including Middleton and Heywood.

The Rochdale Young Carers Service can:

• Visit families at home to discuss their situation
• Carry out a young carers assessment to help us work out together what support is needed
• Help with any problems at school
• Give information
• Help you get in touch with services
• Advocate on behalf of the young carer and their family
• Provide confidential counselling
• Provide group and individual work with children
• Provide activity sessions with young people to give them a break and have fun.

Young carers, relatives of young carers and professionals working with young carers can all contact the Rochdale Young Carers Service to ask for support.