As many as one in 12 pupils could be a young carer, with many struggling to juggle school work with their caring role.
- 27% of young carers (aged 11-15) miss school or experience educational difficulties (40% where children care for a relative with drug or alcohol problems) (Dearden, C, Becker, S, 2004).
- They have significantly lower educational attainment at GCSE level – the difference between nine Cs and nine Ds (Children’s Society, 2013).
- A quarter of young carers said they were bullied at schools because of their caring role (Carers Trust, 2013).
Things to Look Out For
A young carer may be worried about leaving the person they are caring for especially if they have no way to contact them and cannot access a mobile phone. They might miss homework deadlines, arrive late, or have a particularly bad attendance record. They may appear unkempt, tired or irritable. They may be being bullied because of their caring role.
Things to Consider
Talking to a teacher or their friends can often be difficult for a young carer especially if there is a stigma attached to the illness their cared for might be suffering with i.e. caring for someone with substance misuse problems or mental ill health.
They may also be worried that by admitting they look after someone they will be taken away from their family.
Young Carer Referrals
If you have identified a young carer in your school you will need to talk to their parents or guardian about referring them for help and support. You can refer young carers 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 Community First: Youth Action Wiltshire which is the ‘youth arm’ of Wiltshire based charity Community First. They work with young carers, young adult carers (aged 5 to 19), and their families in Wiltshire through a dedicated Wiltshire Young Carers Service.
