Young Carers

Are you a young carer?

A young carer is someone under the age of 18 who helps to care for a family member, relative or friend with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. A young person aged 16-25 with caring responsibilities can be known as a young adult carer and they may have different support needs to younger carers.

As many as 1 in 5 children and young people are young carers in the UK. 

If you're a young carer, you probably look after one of your parents or care for a brother or sister.

You may do extra jobs in and around the home, such as cooking, cleaning or helping someone get dressed and move around.

You may also give a lot of physical help to a parent, brother or sister who's disabled or ill.

Young people with caring responsibilities have all the challenges of being young, with all the responsibilities of being an adult, and they're often left to face these alone.

Please click on the following links for a selection of sites geared specifically towards helping young carers.

• Warwickshire Young Carers  (0808 808 7777) 
• NHS UK: Being a Young Carer
• NHS UK: Help for Young Carers – Advice for carers 18 or under and their entitlement to support
• Barnardos 
• Carers First: Young Carers
• Children Society: Supporting Young Carers
• Action for Children 
• Carer’s Trust - Young carers are people aged between 5 and 18 years old who have a responsibility for looking after or helping someone else to look after a person who has a disability, a long term illness, mental health illness, Autism/ADHD or someone addicted to drugs or alcohol.  The Carer’s Trust can help to support a young carer and provide information and advice, as well as organising times to give them a break. 

Or take a look at the guides below dedicated to the needs of young carers.

• Young Minds: Coping With Life Leaflet (pdf) 
• Carers Trust: Enabling Young Carers to Reach Their Goal in Life Leaflet (pdf)
• Carers Trust: My Future My Feelings My Family Leaflet (pdf) 

In March 2023 with growing network of over 150 organisations The Young Carers Alliance was launched. The Young Carers Alliance provides opportunities for collaboration, sharing best practice and a strong, collective voice for young carers. By clicking the links below you can get information on how to sign up as an individual or as an organisation and see what is being done to help support our young carers. To see what events are being held for young carers as part of the alliance visit Upcoming Young Carers Alliance Events.

• Carers Trust: Young Carers Alliance
• Carers Trust: Alliance Events 

There is also a national event for young carers on 30th June – 2nd July, the Young Carers Festival (YCF) hosted by The Children’s Society. This is the biggest gathering of young carers in the world. It is a way for young carers to come together and unwind. With fairground rides, live music, fireworks and much more, these amazing young carers can enjoy and take some time for themselves. It also serves as a political arena for young carers to have their say and affect change.

 Childrens Society Young Carers Festival