A young carer is someone under the age of 18 providing care on an unpaid basis. The specific circumstances will look different for every family. Estimates about the number of people who are young carers vary, ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands.
What do young carers do?
Young carers have responsibilities that their peers do not have. They don't have to be doing everything on the list below to be considered a young carer. They could be caring for anyone living in their household, a grandparent, parent or sibling.
What they do for their family may include:
Practical support like washing and cleaning.
Young carers may have responsibility for tasks like washing for the family, preparing meals or keeping the house clean. Their contribution goes beyond a chore list, it’s support that a household relies on. Maintaining school deadlines can be challenging in the context of being a young carer. Make sure schools and colleges understand what’s happening at home.
Support with health needs.
Unfortunately, young carers are sometimes cut out of conversations with medical professionals who think they’re too young to know about what’s happening. But a young carer may be responsible for administering medication and helping family members attend medical appointments.
Emotional support.
A young carer may provide emotional support to their family members. That could be supporting siblings when a parent is dealing with a complex medical diagnosis or supporting a parent struggling with their physical or emotional health. Young carers need space and time to talk about their experiences. That might include speaking to a school support worker or emailing Childline for advice.
Being self-caring
If their parent is unwell a young person may be responsible for doing their own cooking, cleaning and bathing because no one else is able to look after them. Children doing so would be classed as a young carer.
Young carers are often incredibly mature and resilient group. But they still need space and time to develop as young people with their own lives and aspirations.
What to do if you think a child might be a young carer?
As a parent
It can feel overwhelming or painful to accept that your child is a young carer. Seek support for yourself and your child. For you that might mean speaking to a health professional, friend or member of your extended family about what’s happening. For your child it might be speaking to the school, so they have someone there they can speak to about what’s happening at home. Your child is entitled to support to help them handle the additional responsibilities they have.
Schools have a duty of care to your child. They’re a vital part of your support network so it’s worth speaking to them early and often. A call or email to the headteacher to explain what’s happening at home is a good starting point.
Local authorities can be part of your support system. Local authorities are required to assess young carers' needs, regardless of who they care for, or the type of care provided. While it’s understandable to worry about how your family will be understood, local authorities have a legal obligation to assess young carers’ needs and provide support.
If dealing with physical or mental health issues plays a part in your family’s situation, speak to your GP and any medical professionals you come into contact with. This way there can be a shared agreement around how a young person is kept informed of what’s happening and why.
Young carers exist everywhere across all sections of society. A child may disclose to you that they have caring responsibilities at home. Or you may find out a child is acting as a young carer another way.
If you’re a teacher:
- Speak to the young person affected and make reasonable adjustments based on what their specific needs are.
- Follow your school’s safeguarding policy.
- The Carers Trust offers support to make your school a better place to be a young carer. You can find out more on their website.
“I wasn’t able to find time to complete my homework until late at night, and I wasn’t going to bed until one or two in the morning because I had no time to myself until everyone else was asleep. I tried to explain to my tutor some of what was happening at home, but she accused me of “shifting the blame” for my lateness and not taking responsibility for myself. I wish she had listened to me.”
– Alex, a former young carer
The extent you can help will depend on your relationship with the family and child in question. If you are able to, offer:
- Practical support - This might include household repairs, help with cleaning, running errands or childcare.
- Emotional support - Speaking to the affected family about what they’re experiencing so they have a safe place to express what they’re feeling.
You may not be in a position to help practically or emotionally. You can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000 or emailing help@NSPCC.org.uk for advice on your specific circumstances and how best to support the child or young person.
What happens if my child is identified as a young carer?
Your child being given a label can feel concerning. What does it mean for them? How does it reflect on you and your family? What matters is not what the label says it’s the support your child and your family can access because of the label.
Talk to your child about what it means to be a young carer. You should also discuss your child’s caring responsibilities with the people that are part of your lives including teachers, doctors, the wider family and family friends.
What help is available for young carers and their family?
There are charities that work on supporting young carers:
- The Children's Society can help you find a young carer group in your local area. They run the Young Carers Festival.
- Sense run activities for young carers under 18 they’re accessible online and in person.
- The Mix runs a support group for young carers up to the age of 25.
Families reliant on the support of young carers can feel anxiety about approaching local authorities for support. But not connecting with them may mean you and your child miss out on valuable support.
Key things to know about what the law says:
- The law mandates a "whole-family approach" to assessment and support. Meaning local authorities need to consider the needs of everyone in the family, including young carers.
- Integrated Care Boards must consult carers, including young carers, in service planning and commissioning.
- NHS organisations are required to identify young carers, provide information, and make referrals for support.
- The Community Mental Health Framework, which replaced the Care Programme Approach, emphasises meaningful engagement with families and carers, including young carers.
- Young Carers Needs Assessments are used to determine the nature and impact of care being provided.
- The Care Act 2014 introduced obligations for young carers transitioning to adulthood, requiring assessments if support needs are likely after turning 18.
Simply put, there are organisations out there who can support you and your family. You can find your local authority by using this website.
Help a young carer learn, relax and play
Young carers need time and space to be children. So, try to make sure they’re able to:
Learn
Education might look different for a young carer but having time to learn is important. Schools can support your family by doing things like allowing your child to call home in breaks, take extra time during exams and by having flexible deadlines for homework.
Relax
Being a carer is stressful, so downtime really matters. That might look like having a night off to catch up on TV shows or read or having time each evening to chill out when jobs are all sorted.
Play
That could mean going for a kick about in the park with a friend or family member, gaming with friends, or crafting together. Children need time to enjoy themselves.
How to talk to a child about being a young carer
Your child may or may not be comfortable being labelled a young carer. So, talk to them about what’s happening in your family and the ways in which they may feel different to their peers. Your child’s individual needs and maturity levels will determine how best to speak to them about their caring responsibilities.
We’ve got advice about how to have a tricky conversation with a child.
Key things to remember are:
- Decide where and when’s best to have the conversation.
- Establish whether you’re having a conversation so they can tell you how they feel or because they need advice and support.
- Be prepared to chat about it as much or as little as they’re comfortable with.
- They may need to chat again at another time, once they’ve had time to think about the points raised in the initial chat.
- Actively listen to what they’re able to tell you.
- Try not to judge them or yourself.
As a parent it’s normal to want to fix everything for a child. The best thing you can do is maintain a good relationship with them so keep talking, even when you don’t have all the answers.
“It’s important to talk to people who can help support you through this; whether that’s a friend or a trusted adult, a teacher or family member or even the parent of a friend. I remember I called Childline once and spoke to a counsellor there. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t had the people I had on the other end of the phone, someone to talk to and just say – Hey, this is happening.”
– Alex, a former young carer
It can be helpful to a child or young person who’s acting as a young carer to speak to a third party who’s not involved. Childline’s available online at childline.org.uk and by phone on 0800 1111 and has a young person focussed web page about what it means to be a young carer.
Remember, what your family is going through is challenging, you and your child deserve help and support.
