Getting help

If you are worried that a child or young person who is a young carer needs help, you should contact the social worker or medical team caring for the ill or disabled person, and explain your worries. If social services get involved, that does not mean they will take the child away from the person they are caring for. They should assess the situation and offer help and support to the family. The child would only be taken into care if there was no other way to keep them safe.

Support for the child should include giving them clear information about what their parent is experiencing, as this can help them to understand what is going on and that it is not their fault.

If the young carer is at school, their teacher should also be contacted to let them know what is going on and to see what support the school can offer.

Many young carers can benefit from going to a young carers group. They can meet children in a similar situation to their own, do activities, support each other and get the chance to have a break. Workers in these projects may also be able to offer individual support based on the situation the young carer is in.

If you think a young carer is having emotional, behavioural or mental health problems, young carers groups can assist but they may also need help via the GP.

If the child is under 18, the GP may decide they need to be referred to specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). They may be offered talking therapy. Other family members may also be offered support.

If your child is over 18 they will need to ask for the help themselves, via their GP. They can request a carer’s assessment.

Youth counselling services can also help, and young people can refer themselves to these. Most will see young people between the ages of 13-25.