YOUNG CARERS/CYNHALWYR IFANC

What is a young carer?

A Young Carer is anyone under the age of 19 who looks after someone in their family who is ill, disabled or has mental health problems.

Am I a young carer?

You may be a young carer if you answer yes to these two questions

• Do you have to help out a lot at home because your mum, dad, brother or sister are unable to carry out tasks for themselves?

• Do you often find it hard to go to school or spend time with your friends because you are worried about leaving your family member without any support?

If you answered yes to these questions then you are probably a young carer and you can access support. Please contact the main office number in the contacts section of this site and we can put you in contact with other young carers living in your area and offer you the support of our outreach worker.

Don't be afraid, there’s no pressure, just advice and support.

Being a young carer can be stressful

Looking after someone in your family on a regular basis can be tiring and stressful. You may have to carry out tasks around the home like cooking, cleaning, helping to get your parent or sibling dressed in the morning or helping with toileting. This can impact on you by stopping you from being able to go out with your friends or going to school. You may feel tired and lonely because of your role as a young carer, but you’re not alone.

There are many young carers living across Powys and Britain who have to carry out the same kinds of roles at home. Powys Carers Service offers young carers the chance to meet up with other young people who have to care for someone. You can socialise and share your problems with other young people that understand, and we have outreach workers who can offer you a chance to talk to a grown up who understands about your life as a young carer.

My school does not understand the problems I face as a young carer..

You may think that you are the only young carer in your school, but you are not. As a young carer you may feel that your friends don’t understand your role and you may have been bullied for being different. You’d be surprised just how many young people are young carers and have the same problems at school as you do. There are several ways that you could make your school more aware of your role as a young carer:

• You can confide in your form tutor, explain to them the tasks that you have to carry out at home and the reasons why this is causing you problems in school. They may be able to offer you support with your school work.

• If you are a young carer with Powys Carers Service you could speak to one of our outreach staff about your problems with school and discuss with them any problems you are having. You can then decide what support you would like from our staff when talking to your school.

• You can link in with other identified young carers in your school (using your local young carer project for support) and set up a mentoring group where you offer each other support and arrange a time to talk to your head teacher about any problems you as a young carer group are facing

Whatever you decide, it is always better to talk about your problems and seek support than to ignore them, as this could leave you feeling lonely and frustrated, and remember, you are not alone.

What is a young carer project?

A young carer project aims to give young people under the age of nineteen a support network that understands the needs and problems of young people who have to care for a family member or friend. Most projects offer social breaks and activities, an opportunity to offload concerns and to discuss problems and advice on your rights as a young carer and who you can turn to for support.