Young Carers

At Exwick Heights we take the role of young carers very seriously and aim to provide them with additional support when needed. We have a young carer champion that you can contact to discuss if you think you or your child maybe a young carer, this is Trudy Cronin SENCO /Safeguarding Lead. She will be able to give you additional information about local support for young carers and the additional support we provide in school, such as a monthly drop in for all our young carers. Exwick Heights is pleased to have been awarded the Bronze Award for Young Carers in March 2017 to recognise their work in supporting young carers within the school.

 

Who are young Carers?

 

A young carer is anyone under 18 that provides unpaid care for a family member or friend with an illness, disability, mental health condition or an addition.

 

A young carer is a young person, up to the age of 18, whose educational, health, social or emotional development may be affected by their caring responsibilities in the family

 

Young people have a right to their childhood and the opportunities for educational, health, social and emotional development that go with it

 

As many as 1 in 12 pupils in the UK could be a young carer. That’s the equivalent to 2 in every class

 

These are your rights

 

As a young carer you have the right to be supported and get the help you may need. You have these rights whether you look after someone everyday or from time to time, or if you do a lot or a little caring.

 

You shouldn’t be doing a caring role that:

 

  • Makes you feel worried, sad or lonely

  • Makes your health worse

  • Means that you miss out on time with your friends

  • Means you do worse at school

  • Stops you wanting to achieve your goals in the future

 

If you think you or your child maybe a young carer please come and talk to Mrs Cronin.

 

Useful Links:

 

Devonyoungcarers.org.uk

 

Westbank.org.uk/support-for-young-carers

 

babble.carers.org

 

carers.org – 08448004361