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• Young Carers' Service

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Young Carers' Service

The service was born out of the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000, which came into force in 2001. The service is funded by the Carers' Special Grant. The 2001 Census estimated that are 175,000 young carers in the UK between the ages of 5 - 18 years and 10 per cent of all school age children will be a carer at some point. There are 51,000 school age children in Coventry therefore it is estimated that there are approximately 5,100 Young Carers in Coventry.

What is a young carer?

A young carer is a young person under the age of 18, who cares for someone who is ill, has a disability, is experiencing mental ill health, is affected by drugs or alcohol abuse or anyone who has HIV/AIDS. Young Carers are unpaid.

Who do they care for?

A young carer may care for:

• A parent
• A grandparent
• A brother
• A sister
• Other relative
• Close friend

Problems

Some problems affecting young carers are:

• Caring restricts social life and friendships
• Caring often means missing school and falling behind
• Caring often involves very intimate personal care
• Young Carers often find it embarrassing to share their problems
• Caring means having to cope with pressure

What is the service?

Young carers can be identified through a number of agencies e.g. social care, schools, GP surgeries, youth clubs and a variety of other places used by young people. 

What the service does is to offer young carers support through a variety of ways.

The service can offer:

• Meetings with other young carers
• Regular group activities
• Emotional support
• Information and advice
• Practical help and support
• A way to raise awareness of the needs of young people

What happens next?

Referral

Referrals can be done by anyone who is known to the young carer. The completed referral form can be sent directly to us. Or the referrer can request a home visit, when they can complete the form, or we are happy to complete the form on a home visit for them.

Contact Details