young carers leaflet
DESCRIPTION
ÂTRANSCRIPT
CARERS NEEDA LITTLE CARETHEMSELVESWHAT WILL HELP US AS CARERS IN SCHOOL
� SOMEONE WE CAN TALK TO WHO UNDERSTANDS YOUNG CARERS AND WILL LISTEN.� TEACHERS TO BE FLEXIBLE IF WE HAVE ISSUES WITH OUR HOMEWORK AND SUPPORT US.� OTHER STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND.� SUPPORT WHEN WE ARE BULLIED.�� ACCESS TO OUR PHONES IN CASE ANYTHING IS WRONG AT HOME.� A SUPPORT GROUP WITH OTHER YOUNG CARERS, MENTORING OR COUNSELLING.� NOT TO BE LABELLED OR SEEN AS A TROUBLE MAKER.
WWW.YOUNGMINDS.ORG.UKWWW.NHS.UK/CARERSDIRECT/YOUNGWWW.YOUNGCARERS.NET
Fixers is a campaign that helps young people ‘use their past to fix the future’ and is part-funded by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund
These are the views/experiences of a young person and should not be relied
on or substitute for formal medical advice.
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
YOUNG CARERS
FOR MORE INFORMATION
WE OFTEN EXPERIENCE THE FOLLOWING:
Staying at home to be there for our relatives
Helping them to get up, washed or dressed
Doing lots of household chores
Shopping, cleaning and cooking
Looking after younger siblings
Providing emotional supportProviding emotional support
Figures from the ONS* suggest 244,000 people under 19 are carers - about 23,000 are under 9.
*Office of National Statistics
BEING AYOUNG CARER IS DIFFICULT
THE REASONS FOR TAKING ON CARING RESPONSIBILITIES ARE VARIED BUT CAN INCLUDE:
* SERIOUS PHYSICAL ILLNESS* LONG-TERM PHYSICAL DISABILITY* NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS** MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS* DEMENTIA* ADDICTION* LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
FOR MANY OF US, ‘CARING COMES FIRST’,WHICH OFTEN MEANS THAT OUR EDUCATION WILL SUFFER..I.T’S EASY FOR SCHOOLS TO BE UNAWARE OF PUPILS’ UNAWARE OF PUPILS’ CARING ROLES BUT IT’S VITAL THAT ALL SCHOOLS PROVIDE A SUPPORTIVE AND ACCOMMODATING APPROACH.
THE FACT THAT WE ARE CARERS IS NOT OFTENKNOWN BY SCHOOL STAFF, SO BEING A YOUNG CARER CAN BE A HIDDEN CAUSE OF POOR ATTENDANCE, UNDER ACHIEVEMENT UNDER ACHIEVEMENT AND BULLYING, WITH MANY YOUNG CARERS DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL NOR ACHIEVEANY QUALIFICATIONS.
HELLO!
WE ARE ALL YOUNG CARERS AND WE SPEND A LOT OF OUR TIME HELPING SOMEONE CLOSE TO US. THIS HAS A BIG IMPACT ON OUR LIVES, OUR EMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT AND OUR EDUCATION.. YOUNG CARERS LIKE OURSELVES NEED RECOGNITION, UNDERSTANDING
AND SUPPORT. WE HAVE WORKED WITH AND SUPPORT. WE HAVE WORKED WITH FIXERS TO DESIGN THIS LEAFLET TO HELP OUR PEERS GET A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING ABOUT OUR DAY-TO-DAYRESPONSIBILITIES AND NEEDS.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
SIGNS THAT WE NEED YOUR HELP
* Regular or increased lateness or absence.* Concentration problems, anxiety, tiredness.* Under-achievement and late or incomplete homework: may be a sudden unexplained drop in attainment.* Few or no peer friendships; conversely the pupil may get on well with adults and act very mature for their age. their age.
* Victim of bullying, sometimes explicitly linked to a family member’s disability, health or substance misuse problem.* Behavioural problems, sometimes the result of anger or frustration expressed inappropriately.* Unable to attend extra-curricular activities.* Difficulties in engaging parents; parents not attending parents’ evenings. parents’ evenings.
* Examples based on young carers’ experiences.