Young Carers
Young Carers at Whyteleafe
Who is a Young Carer?
Every school (indeed every classroom) has pupils affected by disability and illness in the family. A ‘young carer’ is a young person who provides care to a member of the family or a friend who has one, or a combination, of the following conditions:
- a physical or learning disability.
- a sensory impairment
- a chronic condition
- a terminal illness
- a mental health problem or illness
- a drug or alcohol addiction
By ‘care’ we mean:
- Practical: A young carer may be helping with cleaning, cooking, laundry, paying bills /managing a budget and even helping to collect and give medicine
- Emotional: May provide a listening ear, comforting, helping the cared for feel better about themselves, talking to someone who is distressed (e.g. low because of illness/mental health)
- Personal: A young carer may assist to help someone to get dressed or wash, helping to feed them
- Physical: A young carer may be supporting a family member with a disability to move: getting up from their seat /out of bed. Or they may be helping with shopping, such as carrying heavy bags lifting and moving tasks
Identifying Young Carers
Whyteleafe School works with local and national organisations to identify Young Carers and signposts them to relevant agencies and organisations for support. Parents can also request support for their child, if they think they may be a Young Carer, by speaking to a member of school staff or emailing info@whyteleafeschool.org
Our designated member of staff who has responsibility for Young Carers is Caroline Bishop.
If appropriate, the school can support parents in applying to Surrey Young Carers, or parents can complete the referral themselves using the below link.
https://www.actionforcarers.org.uk/for-professionals/professional-referral-to-action-for-carers/
When a young person looks after someone in their family who has a serious illness, disability or substance misuse problem, he or she may need a little extra support to help him or her get the most out of school. At Whyteleafe, we run Young Carer groups, which the children love. If you think that your child may be a young carer and would benefit from some support, please contact the school for more information.
Please read the Young Carer policy for more details.
