Aged 5-17? Do you help look after Someone?
If you look after someone that could not manage without your help you may be a young carer.
are you a young carer?
You may be a young carer if you support someone at home by helping them do any of the following because they can’t do it themselves due to needing care and support.
Here are some examples of the type of tasks you may do as a young carer:
- Get washed.
- Get dressed.
- Help with reading, writing and hearing.
- Shopping.
- Paying bills or managing money.
- Medication.
- Organising family life.
How we support young carers
Young Carers Assessments
To help us understand what life is like for you as a young carer and what support you would find helpful, we will carry out a young carers assessment. Don’t worry, this is not a test, it’s just a conversation with one of our support workers.
During your assessment we look at:
- Tasks you carry out at home and for the person, you care for
- How caring affects your social life, your physical and emotional health and your access to education
- What support is already in place for you
- What other support is available for you and your family
Once your assessment is finished your support worker will write up a support plan which includes things to help support you in your caring role.
Supporting You
Life is different for each young carer, so the support we offer will be made to fit your own situation. You can also access one-to-one or group support work to get the help that’s right for you.
Support workers can help you manage your feelings, worries about caring and share your ambitions or wishes while getting a chance to build your knowledge and skills around caring. You may want to know more about the condition of the person you care for or chat about your future.
Events & activities and meeting other carers
It is important for you to have time out from caring to have relax and do things you enjoy.
We provide free activities so that you get a chance to have fun, make new friends, be with others who understand, have time to yourself and do things you may not usually be able to.
Some of our trips include…
- Monthly club drop in’s – meet up with other young carers, have fun, play games, join in activities or just chill out.
- Trips – Day out activities to such places as Drayton manor, the beach, go karting and more. We also have an annual residential trip each year where you can enjoy a few nights away having fun.
- Group Support Work – Learn news skills for yourself and how to cope with caring with a group of other young carers.
- Decision Making Group (DMG) – Be the voice of young carers in Solihull and help make important decisions that affect all young carers.
Please look here at our online calendar or newsletter to find out more.
Peer Mentoring and Befriending
Some of our experienced young adult carers volunteer their time to mentor other young carers who need a little extra help.
These mentors are a great support as they have already been on a caring journey themselves. They know how to get the right help, do well in education, and make time for fun around caring. We also have trained adult befrienders to support young carers.
Carer's Card
When you register with our service you will receive a carers card. This can be used for…
- Use in an emergency to identify that you are a carer
- Reduced rates or free entry into local tourist attractions, theatres and swimming in Solihull.
You can find our concessions list here
As much as we aim to keep our concession lists up to date, we encourage carers to always check concessions in advance to avoid disappointment. If you know of any changes to current concessions or others not noted, please let us know.
faq's
Will social services be involved?
There is no need for social services to be involved unless there is a risk of harm to the young carer.
This could be because of, too many caring responsibilities, inappropriate caring or neglect.
Can I register without my parents knowing?
Yes, you can, if you are over the age of 14, you can have limited support from us.
You won’t be able to attend any of the events or activities as we need parental consent for that but you will be able to have a one-to-one session with a support worker. This can be arranged to take place at your school or at another appropriate place.
Will I be able to go to all of the activities?
Not all of them. We support a lot of carers and we never have enough places for everyone.
We make our selections based on a young carer’s need for a break from caring first. After that, we then look at when was the last time you attended a trip.
You can register your interest in everything, if there is no space you will be put on the waiting list. If anyone drops out, you may be called last minute to see if you want to attend.
I don’t want to do anything; I don’t know anyone
Meeting other carers that know what you are going through helps reduce isolation.
We always do a quick icebreaker for people to get to know one another a bit better. There are also staff, peer mentors and befrienders that can help you. You do not have to do anything you don’t want to, it is entirely up to you. This is the same for any activity we have, if you change your mind that is OK.
Some young carers only have a carers card and feel that they don’t need the support we offer but use the card for discounted or free places for activities.
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young carers stories
It is critical for young carers to be identified early so they can get the right support at the right time. Young carers in Solihull tell their story of what it means to them to be a carer and how they have been supported.
If you’re a carer and would like to share your story, please contact us by clicking here
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- 3 minutes |
- 11 minutes |
- 5 minutes |
