Sarum St Paul's CofE (VA) Primary School
Young Carers
A Young Carer is a student under 18 years of age who helps to look after a family member who is disabled, physically or mentally ill or has a substance misuse problem. Caring can involve physical or emotional care, or taking responsibility for someone’s safety or well- being. Young carers might also be defined as a young person whose own care and emotional need is significantly impacted by the needs and care of a member of the immediate family. The level of responsibility assumed by a Young Carer is often inappropriate to their age and at a level beyond simply helping out with jobs at home, which is a normal part of growing up.
Click here to view our Young Carers Policy
Click here to visit the Care Support Wiltshire website, a charity that supports carers of all ages, including children
Sarum St Paul’s Primary School has several staff members responsible for pastoral support, including support for Young Carers, these include:
Mrs Lizzie Weavers – Young Carer Lead, Senior Mental Health Lead and DSL
Mrs Julia Beales – Special Educational Needs Coordinator
Mrs Debbie Newman – Family Link Worker
Lead Young Carer ELSA – Mrs Caroline Potter
Carers Trust found that there are about 700,000 young carers in the UK! That’s a lot of young people caring for someone as well as going to school and looking after themselves.
Being a young carer can have a huge impact on growing up – and many young carers don’t know that they can get support to help make their lives and their caring roles easier to manage.
Quick Facts – Young Carers
- Recent research shows that as many as 1 in 5 secondary school children could be a young carer.
- Many young people start their caring journey from as young as 5 years old.
- As many as 27% of young carers aged 11-15 miss school due to their caring roles.
- Over one third of young carers reported having a mental health problem.
- In one survey, 39% young carers said that nobody in their school was aware of their caring role.
- 68% of young carers are bullied in schools because of the impact of their caring role.
Information for Parents of Young Carers
If you are a parent who thinks their child could be a young carer and needs a bit of extra support you can talk to your child's teacher or Young Carer Lead (Mrs Lizzie Weavers), alternatively, you could return this reply slip:
Alternatively, you can speak to your GP and ask them to make a referral to the Wiltshire Council Families and Children’s Team.
You and your child can now also self-refer for an assessment using the Integrated Front Door on 0300 4560108 or MASH@wiltshire.gov.uk.
They will then carry out an assessment to ensure you and your family get the help you need. Once this has been completed, if your child is eligible, they may be referred to us at Carer Support Wiltshire to take part in activities that will give them a break from their caring role. We work with partners such as Youth Action Wiltshire to provide young carers with breaks, activities and opportunities to learn, aspire and grow.
Under the Children and Families Act 2014, all Young Carers under the age of 18 have a right to an assessment from the local authority, regardless of who they care for, what type of care they provide, or how often they provide care.
You can find out more on the Wiltshire Council website here.
For any advice, information or support about this process, or about your a caring role as a parent, please call us on 0800 181 4118 or email admin@carersupportwiltshire.co.uk
Further Information:
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