A young carer is someone under 18 years of age who provides regular and ongoing care to a family member who, due to a condition, illness, disability, serious injury, mental health condition or addiction, are reliant upon them for support.
A young carer will take on additional responsibilities to those appropriate to their age and development. Young carers may be primary carers, e.g. if caring for a parent, or a secondary carer, e.g. when helping to care for a sibling.
Young carers are recognised by the DfE and the school as children who are vulnerable. This is because the level of care-giving and responsibility to the person in need of care is often inappropriate for that child’s age and stage of development, and risks jeopardising their emotional or physical wellbeing, educational achievement and outcomes.
A young carer may undertake some or all of the following:
· Practical tasks
· Physical care
· Personal and intimate care
· Emotional support
· Household management
· Looking after multiple individuals as a result of the primary dependant’s condition, e.g. a child taking care of their parent as well as their siblings due to their parent’s impairment in doing so
· Interpretation
· Administering medication