Do you have a young carer in your family?

If you have a young carer in your family, we're here to help. 

A young carer will typically provide care for family members facing challenges such as:

• Physical disability or sensory impairment
• Long-term illness
• Mental health issues
• Problematic drug and/or alcohol misuse
•Learning disability

A Young Carers Role

Young carers help their family members in various ways, including:

  1. Household chores like cooking, cleaning, and shopping
  2. Assisting with personal care like dressing and feeding
  3. Managing medication and paperwork
  4. Providing emotional support
  5. Taking on a parenting role due to a parent's ill-health

The Impact of being a Young Carer

Hear from other young carersClick here to watch our video

Young people are often happy to help their parents or relatives and we believe it can be a positive experience for them. 
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However, taking on adult responsibilities at a young age can also be difficult to cope with.

Young carers are more likely than their peers to experience: 

  1. Great feelings of responsibility
  2. Physical tiredness
  3. Stress
  4. Anxiety – particularly when they are away from the family member they are caring for e.g. when they are at school
  5. Taking on a parenting role due to a parent's ill-health
  6. Not having time for schoolwork or relaxation
  7. Feelings of embarrassment or shame at having a relative with health problems

Refer a Young Carer

With the right support from parents and other family members, many young carers cope well with caring.
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If you're concerned that your child is taking on too much at home and it’s affecting their wellbeing, we're here to help.

Call us 01452 733060

We’re here to listen - without judgement - and provide advice on how best to support your child. 

Together, we can decide if a referral to Gloucestershire Young Carers is the right step.

Complete a referral 

Refer a young carer by filling in our referral form

Click here

Request a call back 

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