Young Carers
At Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School, we recognise that some children and young people help to care for a family member who may have a disability, long-term illness, mental health condition, additional needs, or difficulties related to substance misuse.
These children are known as young carers.
We are committed to ensuring that young carers are identified, supported and able to enjoy the same opportunities as their peers. We recognise the valuable contribution they make to their families and understand that caring responsibilities can sometimes affect a child's emotional wellbeing, attendance, learning and social experiences.
What Is a Young Carer?
A young carer is a child or young person under the age of 18 who helps to care for a family member or someone they live with who needs support because of:
- A physical disability or illness
- A long-term medical condition
- A mental health condition
- Additional needs or learning disabilities
- Problems linked to alcohol or substance misuse
The support a young carer provides may include practical tasks, emotional support, helping with household responsibilities, caring for siblings or assisting with communication and appointments.
Why Is This Important?
The 2021 Census identified approximately 120,000 young carers aged 5 to 17 in England, representing around 1.4% of children in that age group. However, charities and researchers believe the true number is much higher because many young carers do not recognise themselves as carers or are not known to services. [ons.gov.uk], [lse.ac.uk]
Young carers often demonstrate remarkable resilience, maturity and compassion. However, caring responsibilities can sometimes impact on:
- Attendance and punctuality
- Homework completion
- Concentration and learning
- Friendships and social opportunities
- Emotional wellbeing
- Participation in clubs, trips and extracurricular activities
How We Support Young Carers
At Our Lady of the Rosary, we are committed to creating a supportive and understanding environment for young carers. We aim to:
- Identify young carers as early as possible.
- Listen to and value their experiences.
- Provide appropriate pastoral and emotional support.
- Work closely with families and external agencies.
- Ensure young carers are not disadvantaged in their education.
- Promote attendance, wellbeing and achievement.
- Raise awareness amongst staff about the challenges young carers may face.
Support may include:
- Regular check-ins with a trusted adult.
- Emotional wellbeing support.
- Flexibility around homework where appropriate.
- Support with transitions between year groups and schools.
- Referrals to specialist young carers' services where appropriate.
How Parents Can Help
If you believe your child may be a young carer, please let us know. Many children do not realise that the help they provide at home is different from the responsibilities of their peers.
Sharing information with school allows us to understand your child's circumstances and provide appropriate support.
National Support for Young Carers
Young carers are recognised in law through the Children and Families Act 2014, which gives local authorities duties to identify and assess young carers where there may be a need for support.
Further information can be found from:
- Carers Trust
- The Children's Society
- Bristol Young Carers Service
- Bristol City Council
Further Information
If you would like to discuss support for a young carer, please contact the school office and ask to speak to Mrs Burden or Mrs Stone.
Working together, we can ensure that every young carer feels recognised, supported and able to flourish both in school and at home.