Young Carers at St Joseph's

At St Joseph's we are committed to developing our provision for Young Carers and their families.

Who is a young carer?

Young carers are children and young people under 18 years old who provide regular and on-going care to another person who is physically or mentally ill, disabled or misuses substances.
 

You may be a young carer if you:
• care for a family member, because of illness, disability or old age
• help someone with bathing or dressing, going to the toilet or getting into/out of bed
• need to cook for your family
• look after money or organise the family budget
• help anyone to take medication regularly
• collect prescriptions or benefits on behalf of someone else or go shopping for the family
• look after brothers or sisters, by taking them to school, doing their laundry, or cooking their meals
• take care of housework, such as dusting, hoovering, washing or ironing
• speak on behalf of someone who has difficulty speaking or communicating for themselves
• translate or interpret for someone at home

The effects of being a young carer:

• You have responsibilities at home that prevent you from spending time with your friends, or inviting them around your house.

• You feel sad, angry, guilty or embarrassed about the help you give to anyone at home.

• You feel upset that friends don’t have the same responsibilities.

• You avoid telling anyone outside the family about your home situation