Young Carers' Voice
YCV is a group of young carers who meet monthly and represent young carers.
Young carers can play a vital role in sharing their experience, skills and knowledge about being a young carer to help improve services
Young Carers' Voice (YCV) was set up to enable young carers to get their voices heard, raise awareness about young carers and influence decision-makers to improve how services recognise and support young carers.
Hearing directly from young carers is very powerful. It’s much harder for people to ignore the issues young carers face when they hear it from young carers themselves. As one YCV member puts it…
“We make a difference!”
This group meets monthly and has undertaken a range of actions including designing and delivering awareness training for professionals.
What young carers are asking of services
YCV have developed a Young Carers Charter highlighting how organisations can support the needs of young carers.
Download the YC Charter
Young carers want professionals to:
- be approachable, understanding and trustworthy
- know young carers’ issues
- have more time for them on a 1 to 1 basis
Young carers want the following from Children and Young People’s services:
- someone to talk to
- an opportunity to meet other young carers
- services to be free
- support with transport of reduced or free bus travel
- different kinds of activities
- activities at different times for different age groups
- a break from caring, especially during the school holidays
They want schools to have:
- designated staff supporting young carers
- teachers who are non-judgemental and have an understanding of young carers’ issues
Helping Laila back into school
Laila* is a 14-year-old young carer who is living with her mother, her 10-year-old brother and her 6-year-old sister. Laila helps to care for her younger sister who has severe, non-verbal autism, epilepsy, hypermobility, learning difficulties and developmental delay; and her mum who suffers from fibromyalgia and mental ill-health.
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You don’t have to face caring alone, we are here to help you and your family to get the support that you need.
Lots of young people are carers, some have shared their stories with us. See how we helped them and how we might be able to help you.
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