What is a young carer?
A young carer is someone aged 18 or under who looks after someone. It might be a parent, grandparent, sibling or close relative.
Young carers can help out with all sorts of tasks. They might help with physical care, emotional support or with practical tasks, such as cooking, housework and shopping. They might look after a brother or sister, helping them to communicate or engaging them so their parents are able to get on with other tasks. Looking after someone else can take up a lot of time and young carers can find it difficult to cope with everything. School work and attendance might suffer and young carers can find it difficult to find common ground with their peers.
The Young Carer Friendly Award
The Young Carer Friendly Award has been developed by Carer Support Wiltshire to recognise good practice for the identification and support of young carers in schools.
Working in partnership with the Wiltshire Healthy Schools programme, you can access the audit online. Wiltshire education providers (primary schools to FE colleges) can access this award at no charge.
Wiltshire schools, who are completing their Wiltshire Healthy Schools accreditation will automatically have access to the Young Carer Award theme. Education providers, who don’t currently have access to the Wiltshire Healthy Schools audit can request access to the Young Carers Award by emailing ycfenquiries@carersupportwiltshire.co.uk
You can complete the Young Carers Award independently of the Healthy Schools standards. Settings can choose to just complete the Young Carers Award, although schools involved in the Healthy Schools programme can choose to complete the award before or after they apply for Healthy Schools accreditation – or even at the same time.
You can access the audit here: Young Carer Friendly Award: Wiltshire Healthy Schools
How to refer a young carer
If you are a teacher or other professional who has identified a young carer you will need to talk to their parents or guardian about referring them to us at Carer Support Wiltshire. Once you have consent, You can do this online here.
We also encourage you to refer young carers through to Wiltshire Council. You can make the referral to MASH by calling 0300 456 0108 or emailing MASH@wiltshire.gov.uk
Should you have any questions or if you need assistance, please feel free to reach out to our friendly young carer team at 0800 181 4118 or email us at youngcarers@carersupportwiltshire.co.uk
You can find out more by visiting the young carers section of our website.
