Inclusion
Young Carers
Who is a Young Carer?
A young carer is someone aged 18 or under who helps look after a relative who has a condition such as:
- A physical disability.
- A learning disability.
- A long term illness.
- A mental health condition, or misuses substances or alcohol.
The majority of young carers look after one or both of their parents, brother or sister. A young carer might also care for a grandparent or someone else from their extended family. The difference between young carers and other young people who help in the home is that young carers are often responsible for someone else in their family in a way that most other young people aren't.
What does a Young Carer do?
A young carer will take on additional responsibilities to those appropriate to their age and development. A young carer might be providing the main care or share responsibilities with another family member.
The caring tasks that a young carer has to deal with can range from:
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Nursing Care – giving medication, injections, helping with mobility, changing dressings.
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Personal Care – washing, dressing, feeding, helping with toilet requirements.
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Emotional Care – listening, being a shoulder to cry on, supporting a relative through depression, being there to talk to, monitoring state of emotions.
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Domestic Care – washing, ironing, shopping, cleaning and cooking.
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Financial Care – paying bills, sorting out benefits.
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Child Care – looking after younger siblings in addition to their caring.
We are committed to supporting all our students at Skegness Grammar School and Young Carers are no exception. We are able to offer a variety of avenues of support in school as well as referring to external sources of support and advice.
Our Young Carers Lead is Miss McKenna. Should students or families wish to explore what we can offer in school or other sources of support and advice, please do not hesitate to contact her.
Useful Links:
An online space where those aged under 18 who are caring for a family member or friend can chat, share experiences and access information or advice.
