Support For Young Carers
The information, advice and support we offer to young carers.
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Whatever impact caring has on you, you are not alone. With us, you’ll find the support that’s right for you.
The Young Carers Team listens to every young carer and their family’s concerns. Then, we work with you to:
- Give you a break from caring
- Give you a chance to meet other young carers
- Speak to your school so they can support you
- Give you the same opportunities as other young people
First Steps
If you would like us to support you, the first step is to get in touch.
You can talk to us openly and in confidence about what you are going through. We will not judge you or pass on information without your consent, unless someone is in danger.
How We Support You
Once we’ve got to know you and your family better, we’ll work with you to support you in your caring role. This could involve:
- Trips and activities with other young carers who have similar experiences to you
- Visiting you at home or school to talk in more detail about how you’re doing, what you’re finding hard and what you’d love to do more of
- Support through big changes in your life such as:
- moving to secondary school
- choosing your subject options
- moving into work or further education
- An opportunity to be part of the Young Carers’ Council, where you can talk about the things that affect your life
- Activities which give you a break from caring – our ‘Make a Difference Breaks’
To find out more about how we can help you, get in touch.
Please note: If you are currently working with a Social Worker then please share their details with us. This is so that we can talk to them and make sure that your voice and your caring role is part of their assessment. When you finish working with them let us know; this way we can check in with you to see how things are going. Whilst you are working with your Social Worker, you are still very welcome to come to our activities, get a Carers Passport discount card, or call us for information about your caring role.
More About Make A Difference
Make Difference Breaks are activities, events or equipment which give young carers a chance to get healthy, recharge and have fun. They often involve a hobby such as dance, drama, gymnastics, sports, music, or whatever else you enjoy.
As we work with you, our team will consider whether Make a Difference Breaks are the right support for you. If they are, we’ll talk to you and your parents or guardians.
To find out more about the different ways we support, drop us a line.
More About Moving School
Moving school, especially from Y6 to Y7, can be an exciting and daunting time for young carers and their families.
To make this transition as easy as possible, have a read of our guides about the different stages of moving:
For parents and guardians:
- A guide to the key dates in Y6 and Y7 when you should request or receive support: Transition – Guidance for Parents and Young Carers 2023
For young carers:
- A guide on how to talk to your school about your caring role: Transition – Talking to school about your caring role
- A template plan on how your new school can support you. You should complete this with someone at your new school: Transition Plan – example
We also run workshops about moving schools during the Easter Holidays. These are a chance for young carers and their parents to share all their questions and concerns about the transition.
We offer tailored support sessions about moving school for individual families over zoom.
If you’d like to find out more about these resources and workshops, or have any questions about a school transition, don’t hesitate to give us a bell.
Useful Resources for Young Carers
- If the person you support ever goes to hospital, this is a list of people you could contact or stay with. We suggest you keep one of these at home and give one of them to your school.
- Information about support for families in Hertfordshire
- A list of activities for young people in your area
Jobs and Apprenticeships in Hertfordshire
- A jobs and apprentices board for young people in Hertfordshire
- Information from the Carers Trust about the support for and rights of Young Carers and Young Adult Carers
- Free videos guiding young carers through BAM! boxing and mindfulness home workout sessions.
