Young Carers
Who are young carers?
A young carer is any child or young person from the age of 5-18 whose life is in some way affected because of the need to take responsibility - in a way which would usually be undertaken by an adult - for the care of a person who:
• Is ill
• Has a disability
• Is experiencing mental or emotional distress
• Is affected by substance misuse
The person they care for is often a parent, or may be a grandparent, brother or sister. We also identify young carers as those students who are having to care for themselves more than other students, due to their parents caring for others.
How can this affect their lives?
The young carer's own life and development - their emotional, physical, social and educational needs ¬may be affected by this caring role.
The young carer may be doing tasks like shopping, cooking or housework, or they may be feeding, toileting and bathing their relative, or providing emotional support. They may be getting lots of help, or they may be doing all of the caring alone having never spoken to anyone about it. Their friends may not realise that they are a young carer, let alone their teacher.
Young carers from some culturally diverse groups may have extra responsibilities, for example, they may have to act as an interpreter for medical or emotional issues inappropriate for their age.
How can we recognise young carers?
A number of factors may indicate that a young person is a carer. These may include:
• The presence of illness or disability in the family.
• Inability of parents to attend open evenings and parents evenings at the school.
• The need of others in the family being placed above those of the young person.
• The young carer assumes a parental role to other, able siblings.
• Attendance and punctuality are raised as a concern.
• The young person is sometimes unwell, stressed or depressed.
• The young person's own health and welfare is not satisfactory.
• Tiredness.
• Poor concentration.
• Academic performance below potential or inconsistent.
• Inability to complete homework/independent study.
• Isolation from peers or problems interacting with peers.
• The young person is not making use of leisure activities and extra curricular activities.
• False maturity, i.e. appearing to be very mature and responsible but 'letting go' and behaving immaturely in a safe environment.
How we help young carers at Wellacre
• All staff are made aware of identified young carers within school.
• Information regarding the provisions in place for the young carers are shared with the relevant class teachers and Inclusion Team.
• Mrs Birney (Inclusion Manager) and the Inclusion Team act as a source of advice and support for other colleagues and will liase with other agencies and the family.
• Strategies we have in place to help young carers include:
• School based provision for homework – Independent Learning Club and remote learning provision
• Flexible arrangements for completing assignments.
• Provision for young carers to make confidential phone calls when anxious about circumstances at home.
• Mentoring cohorts.
• Listening, believing and responding sensitively to young carers.
• Making information about health issues and community services available and accessible to all young people.
• Distributing information leaflets and young carers' packs to individual young carers.
• We work with Trafford Carers Centre, who half termly come into Wellacre and conduct 1 to 1 mentoring sessions and run a drop in service
• We offer a peer support group where young carers can attend once a week to meet other students in similar positions to them, to gain advice or have a chat.
How can we make sure that young carers trust us?
• We recognise that some young carers are reluctant to ask for help for fear of their family being split up as a result.
• If a young carer tells a member of staff about their home circumstances, they will ensure that they keep it confidential unless a safeguarding concern is raised.
• We identify young carers so that they can be supported but not made to feel different.
• We are sensitive to the needs of the whole family in order to support the needs of the young carer.
