Support for young carers

Is there someone at home with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem? Do you have to help a lot, or worry a lot about the person who is unwell? Are you under 18? You could be a young carer.

It is estimated that over 2000 young people in North Somerset have caring responsibilities at home, so you are not alone. Get in touch to find out more about meeting other young carers and what support is on offer to you.

Some of the ways young people care for someone are:

• Staying in the house a lot to be there for them
• Helping them to get up, get washed or dressed, or helping with personal care
• Doing lots of the household chores like shopping, cleaning and cooking
• Looking after younger brothers and sisters
• Providing emotional support or a shoulder to cry on.

We know that being a young carer can mean missing out, feeling different to others and sometimes finding life that bit harder. It can also have an impact on your school life including taking part in out of school activities, behaviour and ability to complete coursework and homework on time. You may also worry about talking to someone because you worry about things like bullying, letting your family down or being taken into care.

We're here to help- find out more about what's on offer for young carers below.

• Welcome groups

  This is a three-week set of relaxed groups which helps us to really get to know each young carer and their individual needs.

• Holiday workshops

  These take place during each school holiday and are for young carers in both Primary and Secondary schools to catch up with each other and the friends they have made. They might be chilled out, where we just have fun and games, or might tackle a serious topic such as anxiety or sleep.

• Day trips

  It might be a trip to the theatre, a day of karting, a visit to the zoo or a picnic on the beach and provides a break from your caring role and a chance to meet other young carers.

• Trips away

  Each summer we run a residential weekend for young carers, providing a longer period of respite from their caring role, including going to the ‘Young Carers Festival’ where over 1,000 young carers get-together from across the UK!

• Schools

  We're working hard to raise awareness and support young carers in schools. By working in partnership with schools on the issues faced by young carers, we are creating a network of support and understanding to ensure young carers receive the recognition and support they need in school. We are putting in place lunchtime groups and one to one support for young carers in primary and secondary schools across North Somerset.

• Support

  All young carers can access one-to-one support to help with particular issues.

• Advocacy

  We can speak on behalf of young carers to other agencies such as Social Services, Community Mental Health or Education Welfare Services including attending meetings.

• Young Adult Carers Support

  We know that becoming an adult is hard enough, and when you add caring responsibilities into the mix, it can really impact the big decisions you might be making -like moving out on your own, going to university or thinking about your future employment and plans.

  We are here to help with one-to-one meet ups for a coffee and a chat, or more structured sessions for things like job hunting or university applications. We also run monthly drop-in groups for you to meet other young adult carers and have time to yourself, as well as lots of 'days out' from water sports days to going out for meals together.

  To find out more please get in touch, or come along to our drop-in group, which takes place at the YMCA, Weston-Super-Mare, on the second Wednesday of the month.   

• Other sources of support

  If you don’t want to speak to us, you can always speak to a teacher that you trust, or maybe your school nurse.

  There are also online communities available to Young Carers where you can find others in similar situations, share experiences, and access information and support from expert professionals.

  • Carers.org is a forum for older Young Carers (aged 16-25)
  • You can also contact Childline 08001111 for free confidential advice at any time

• How Young Carer services are funded

  We receive funding from North Somerset Council to deliver a core support service to Young Carers.

  We are very grateful to receive charitable support from BBC Children in Need and a number of local community fundraising groups.

  Watch our 2018 Children in Need news feature with BBC Points West here.