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There are at least 30,000 Young Carers in Scotland* – you are not alone.
* Carers Trust
Many children and young people help their parents by keeping their room tidy, helping to do the dishes or general duties around the home, however Young Carers often have to do more than this around the home to help their families. As a Young Carer you may support a family member with making meals, weekly shopping, giving medication, washing, or helping to look after a brother or sister.
Sometimes caring for someone can affect the amount of time you have to do things for yourself, like spending time with friends, watching TV, hobbies or even homework. Young Carers might not carry out physical tasks but they can be affected emotionally by their situation.
The Young Carers Project offers children and young people the opportunity to meet with a support worker on a one-to-one basic. This can be done in person or virtually. One-to-one support allows Young Carers the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings with a trusted support worker, helping them to feel listened to, valued and understood.
Young Carers have the opportunity to attend regular groups, activities and trips across the region. Young Carers can find it hard to talk to friends and family about their caring responsibility, coming to groups gives Young Carers the opportunity to meet with other young people who are in a similar situation and understand what it is like to be a Young Carer. Groups allow Young Carers to make new friends, build their confidence, get a break from their caring role, try new things and most importantly, have fun!
Young Carers Statement is a plan to help Young Carers work out how caring responsibilities affect their life. It looks at different areas of the Young Carers life and helps them express their feelings and needs as a Young Carer and a young person.
All Young Carers have the right to a Young Carers Statement and it will be completed with a support worker. Young Carers can choose to share their statement with family members, teachers, or other support agencies.
Young Carers drop ins are run through out secondary schools across the region. The Young Carers Education Worker provides primary and secondary schools with teacher training to ensure Young Carers are being identified, respected and supported in school. Awareness raising assemblies are held in secondary schools to help ensure pupils have a better understanding of what it is like to be a Young Carer.
Young Carers Cards are available to all young people who have a caring role. They are issued by Dumfries and Galloway Young Carers Project. The card allows Young Carers to understand the illness of the person they care for, be better involved in any medical procedures and be kept up to date by professionals about the cared for person’s treatment.
Young Carers can be supported by their Support Worker to access grants and funding. These could be for a break away, to help Young Carers access clubs or hobbies or to help with driving lessons. Young Carers can also access great benefits through their Young Scot Card. Young Carers aged 16-18 years can apply to the Young Carers Grant.
Young Cares Action Day is an annual event lead by Carers Trust It raises awareness of Young Carers locally and nationally and calls for action to increase support for young people with caring responsibilities.
Action for Children 2023
