What is a Young Carer?

A Young Carer is aged between 5 and 18 years old, Young Carers look after someone (family member or friend) who has an illness, disability, mental health condition, and alcohol / substance dependency. Young Carers take on practical and/or emotional caring responsibilities that would normally be expected of an adult. A young carer is a child or young adult who, without payment, provides help and support to a friend, neighbour or family member who could not manage otherwise because of an illness, frailty, or disability. Very often, people do not recognise themselves as 'carers'; they are just relatives, friends or neighbours who find themselves in a caring situation, sometimes suddenly, sometimes gradually, and simply get on with what needs to be done.

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What might a Young Carer do?

• Practical tasks, such as cooking, housework and shopping.
• Physical care, such as helping someone out of bed.
• Offer emotional support, such as talking to someone who is distressed.
• Personal care, such as helping someone dress.
• Managing the family budget and collecting prescriptions.
• Helping to give medicine.
• Helping someone communicate.
• Looking after siblings.

Lode Heath School can support young carers. If you, or a family member, needs support please contact Miss Stewart, Young Carers School Operational Lead at estewart@lodeheath.org.uk

All contact will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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What does Lode Heath School do for Young Carers?

We offer help and support for Young Carers. We understand that Young Carers can be dealing with a lot at home, and we believe it is important that they have someone to talk to and support them with their learning and their school life.

At Lode Heath School, we understand that these additional responsibilities mean that students who are young carers sometimes need some extra support to help them thrive and succeed at school. All staff are aware of Young Carers and the school is able to offer the following:

• 1 on 1 support; a safe space to talk about their responsibilities and mentoring to help students make the most of school.
• Liaison with teachers and other staff in school, where necessary, about a student’s caring role to help them with things like homework and access to extracurricular activities.
• Signposting and referring to the Solihull Young Carers service and other young carers services.
• Awareness raising activities across the whole school.

Lode Heath School maintain close links with Solihull Young Carers service and other Young Carers services. 

We aim to understand and meet the needs of students who fulfil a caring role at home and encourage parents/carers to let us know if their child is a young carer.

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Contact

If you think you may be a Young Carer, or your child is a Young Carer, and need help and advice, please speak to either of the following contacts:

You can also contact Solihull Young Carers directly on 0121 788 1143 or youngcarers@solihullcarers.org

Further information can also be found on our website https://www.solihullcarers.org/

Resources

• Booklet for young carers – me-we.eu (me-we.eu)
• Getting support if you are a young carer or young adult carer - Carers Trust
• Top 10 Tips For Young Carers - YouTube
• Help for young carers - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
• Guidance for those under 25 who provide care for someone - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• Young Carers Press Release
• Young Carers Bronze Certificate