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Supporting young carers
A campaign to raise awareness about the 1,000 or more children and young people in Hull who care for a parent or family member.
You're 12-years-old – but you can't do all the things other kids in year seven are doing – like going skating, having 'sleepovers,' and going out on your bike.
Because instead you do the shopping and cooking for your mum, who is suffering from depression.
You give her regular medication – and at the same time look after your younger brother and sister.
You don't have time to do homework and you are late for school most mornings because you drop off your younger brother at his school on the way.
Things are not always what they seem....
"This is an example of one of the many situations a young carer may face in Hull," says Alan Mckenzie, assistant head of Hull City Council's Children and Young People's Services.
"These are children and young people who are taking on tasks usually undertaken by adults, and as a result they may be missing out on parts of their childhood.
"We don't always know about young carers because parents sometimes hide the situation for fear of being seen as bad parents, or, say, because they think their kids may be taken into care.
"On top of that, children often don't recognise themselves as being young carers – but see their roles as something they just do within the family.
"So the actual number of young carers in Hull is likely to be much greater than is shown in the census"
Help is available
Agencies often only find out about a child's responsibilities when things reach crisis point - or when they start to fall behind on their school or college work, or when their health starts to suffer.
But the aim is to identify young carers earlier, so they can access help and support, which can be offered to both them and their parents.
That includes:
- Individual support from a project worker who can assess a young carer's needs and listen to their feelings and experiences.
- The chance to meet other young people in similar situations.
- Opportunities to participate in social and leisure activities
New campaign
A new campaign has also been launched to raise awareness about young carers.
It involves a training course for teachers, school support staff and health workers from across the city to help them identify young carers and ensure that they have appropriate support.
"I was surprised to learn about the large number of young carers in the city," says Janet Goforth, special educational needs coordinator at Endeavour High School, who recently attended the course.
"I also found it useful to know about resources and organisations outside of school which can provide help." The campaign also urges schools to add extra provision for young carers and to review their policies regarding them.
For example, this could include allowing them to phone home in break times, or providing somewhere quiet for them to do homework before they go home – or even just being aware of why a pupil might not be at their best.
Fact file
Who is a young carer? A child or young person (up to the age of 18) whose life is affected by looking after someone with a disability or a long-term illness.
The person they care for may be a parent, a sibling, another family member or a friend, who does not necessarily live with them.
They take on responsibilities which are inappropriate to their age by carrying out tasks which could include physical or emotional care, or taking responsibility for someone's safety or well being.
"Disability" can be anything from physical, sensory, emotional or learning impairment, to long-term illness, HIV, drug or alcohol dependence, mental health problems, frailty or old age.
How can the caring role affect young people's lives?
- Young carers may not achieve their full potential in school because their attendance is disrupted, or they are too tired to give their best in the classroom, or they do not have the time to complete homework
- Young carers may have little time to socialise and may, as a result, have low levels of confidence and difficulty in making friends
- They may worry about their parents Young carers may have to deal with emergency situations
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For more information about young carers contact 01377 272774 or email nesdc@nch.org.uk.
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