Am I a young carer?

A young carer is someone under 18 years who helps to look after someone in their family who has a disability, a long-term illness, a mental health condition or has difficulties with drugs and/or alcohol misuse.

Young carers often take on responsibilities that are normally expected of an adult and might include:  

• Practical tasks - like cooking, cleaning, and shopping
• Physical care - such as lifting, helping the person they care for to move about  
• Personal care - dressing, washing, helping with toileting needs and medication  
• Organising things - like money, appointments or collecting prescriptions  
  Looking after younger siblings - playing with them, feeding them, or taking them to school 
• Emotional support - making sure the cared-for person is OK  
• Interpreting and translating due to a hearing or speech impairment or if English is not the family’s first language.

Some young carers don’t realise they are young carers - they are just looking after someone who needs help and getting on with what needs to be done.   
 
Young carers are doing an amazing job helping others.  For some, the amount of caring is relatively small and they can still manage to socialise with friends, keep up with homework and do a range of things they want to do. 

However, for many young carers the additional responsibilities of caring can make life quite difficult, feel under stress and needed extra support. 
 
Young carers are known to face a variety of issues including:  

• Feeling isolated and alone 
• Having little or no time to socialise with their friends
• Feeling worried, stressed or angry 
• Having anxiety, depression or other difficult emotions
• Feeling tired and withdrawn 
• Lack of confidence  
• Difficulties at school due to lateness or being frequently absent 
• Struggling to get homework in on time
• Bullying 

Though many do not realise they are a young carer there are likely 2 young carers in every class of 30 students. 

Research by BBC News and Nottingham University (2018) found that 22% of children provide some care for a family member with an illness or disability. Of those children, 32% were classed as doing a high level of caring, with nearly a tenth (9%) carrying out the highest amount of care.