Who are Young Carers?

Young Carers are children and young people up to the age of 18 who help to look after a family member with an illness, disability or addiction to drugs or alcohol. Young people aged between 16 and 24 in a caring role are Young Adult Carers.

Young Carers often take on a lot of adult responsibilities that their friends and classmates don’t. For example:

Practical tasks, such as cooking, housework and shopping.

Physical care, such as helping someone out of bed.
Emotional support, such as talking to someone who is distressed.
Personal care, such as helping someone dress.
Managing the family budget and collecting prescriptions.
Helping to give medicine.
Helping someone communicate.
Looking after brothers and sisters.

The Impact of Caring

Caring for a loved one can be very rewarding but it can also have an impact on a young person’s education and social life. It can be hard to juggle homework, seeing friends or taking part in after-school activities with caring responsibilities. Young Adult Carers can find trying to manage further education, work, relationships and their caring role very difficult. Many Young Carers can feel stressed or anxious, they may feel isolated and unable to access the same opportunities as other people their age. Nearly a quarter of Young Carers report being bullied because of their caring role.

Facts and Figures

It is estimated that there are up to 4000 Young Carers in Herefordshire
Research indicates that 1 in 12 young people in UK secondary schools are either impacted by family ill health or carry a caring responsibility
In a recent survey 39% of Young Carers said no one at their school was aware of their caring role
The average age of a Young Carer is 12
The 2011 census identified more than 375,000 young adult carers in the UK, but this is believed to be a huge underestimate of the true numbers as many young adults hide their caring role or do not identify themselves as carers.
Caring can affect a young person’s health, social life and self confidence – over 45% reported a mental health problem.
29% of Young Adult Carers had dropped out of college/university because of their caring role. This is four times greater than the national average for degree courses

HYCC supports Young and Young Adult Carers and enables them to access opportunities to meet others in a similar situations and have a break from their caring role.

About HYCC

Herefordshire Young Carers Club provides support and respite for children and young adults who are caring for a family member with an illness, disability, mental health issue or problem with drugs or alcohol.

We do this through the funding we receive from Children in Need and Herefordshire Freemasons as well as generous donations from individuals and organisations.

hvoss (Herefordshire Voluntary Organisations Support Service) holds and administers this funding so that Herefordshire Young Carers Clubs can continue to provide a valuable service countywide.

Clubs

We run Young Carer clubs in different locations in the county, once a fortnight during term times. These clubs are a great way for Young Carers to meet others experiencing similar situations to their own and make new friends. They can access advice and information from our experienced staff, benefit from one to one support and take part in a variety of activities, games and workshops.

Clubs reduce social isolation, increase confidence and social skills, as well as providing a much-needed break from their caring role and the opportunity to simply be a child for a few hours and have fun. All of which helps Young Carers to build their resilience and achieve their aspirations.

We also provide confidential advice and support for Young Adults, aged 16 to 24, in a caring role. We hold regular meetings so that people in similar situations can have a break from their caring responsibilities, find help and support, have fun and make new friends. To find out more just get in touch!