Young Carers

A young carer is someone aged under 18 who helps look after a relative who has a disability, illness, mental health condition, or a drug or alcohol problem. Most young carers look after one of their parents or care for a brother or sister. 

Adapted from the NHS

The first inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Young Carers and Young Adult Carers estimated that there are one million young carers in the UK and revealed that at least 15,000 children, including 3,000 aged just 5 to 9, spend 50 hours or more a week looking after family members because of illness, disability or addiction.

However, many young carers remain unnoticed by their education settings. In January 2023, young carers were added to the January school census return for the first time. In 2024, data showed that 72% of schools reported that they had no young carers in their schools. Young Carers in Schools argues that this is not a true representation of the number of young carers in education settings. 

According to Young Carers in Schools, many young carers remain hidden because:

• The condition of the person they care for is not obvious, so people don’t think that the young person needs any help. 
• Young carers don’t realise that they are a carer or that their life is different to their peers. 
• They want to keep their identity at school separate from their caring role. 
• It’s not the sort of thing they feel they can discuss with their friends. 
• There has been no opportunity to share their story. 
• They’re worried about bullying. 
• They worry that the family will be split up and that they will be taken into care.
• They want to keep their caring role a secret and/or are embarrassed. 
• They see no reason to tell their story and don’t believe that any positive action will occur after doing so.

You may be able to identify a young carer if they:

• have poor attendance, are missing from education or are frequently late – a young carer’s responsibilities may mean they frequently have to be absent from school or are unable to arrive at the expected start time. 
• are being bullied – young carers are more likely to be bullied because of their caring role, reasons include presenting as withdrawn, not having a social life, general appearance, jokes being made about the person they care for. 
• are not getting homework done because of caring responsibilities – young carers may not be able to do homework after school because of their caring role. 
• worry because they cannot use their phone to check on the person they are caring for – many settings have restrictions on phone use, but for young carers this can present problems. 
• often tired, distracted or withdrawn.
• missing out on trips or extra-curricular activities because they must be at home to care – often these can clash with the requirements of caring. 
• outwardly mature for their age.

How can we support young carers?

Whilst there are specific things, such as respite and arranged leisure activities, that can help young carers access opportunities that may ordinarily be unavailable to them, the importance of daily support within the setting should not be forgotten. 

Young carers themselves identify the importance of:

• someone to talk with
• support from their education setting and a better understanding of their situation and individual needs. Can you offer greater flexibility regarding homework deadlines and punctuality? Can you allow them time to contact the ones they care for during the school day for peace of mind? What can you do to help them access extra-curricular activities?
• help with emergency/crisis plans (for example who will care for them if their single parent goes into hospital/who would they contact in an emergency);
• breaks and respite from their caring role, and help from services that understand them
• support for their emotional well-being and mental health
• connections to friends and their communities. Create a whole-setting culture that understands and supports the individual needs of young carers. 
• better support for those they care for. How do you ensure they are provided with access to additional support for those they care for and themselves?

All young carers are entitled to an assessment of their needs, either at the point that any agency (children’s or adult’s) identifies that they are a young carer or when a young carer or their family asks for an assessment. 

The needs of everyone in the family must be considered to reduce and remove the caring responsibility placed on the child if possible. Seek advice from your local authority as to how to access the local young carers support services.

However, none of this can be put in place until a child or young person is identified as a young carer. The Carers Trust and the Children’s Society developed a resource, designed with teachers and school staff, to help make the task of identifying and supporting young carers in schools as easy as possible.

All young carers must be included in your annual school/college census. The Young Carers Alliance have produced a checklist and top tips that headteachers and senior leaders can use to help complete the census and support young carers. 

Take action – and keep taking action until you know children and young people are safe.