Helping care for others
Looking after someone close to you who needs your support can be difficult. But you don’t have to cope alone.
Who is a young carer?
A young carer is someone aged under 18 who looks after person. This could include an adult, or someone younger like a sibling.
Caring for someone might involve things you do every day like cooking and cleaning, or you might have to do much more if the person can’t do some things themselves. For some, it can involve a lot of physical tasks, for other people can mean providing emotional support.
There are lots of reasons you may care for another person, for example someone might:
- Have an illness, disability or mental health condition
- Need extra support because of their age
- Difficulties relating to drugs and alcohol
- Need help communicating or talking to others, for example signing or translating for health appointments
- Have additional needs or learning differences
Some young people say they aren’t sure if they can actually call themselves a ‘young carer’. Even if you aren’t the only one who’s caring for someone, you are still a young carer. Especially if it takes up a lot of your day or impacts how much time you have for your schoolwork or yourself.
Getting support if you’re a young carer
It can sometimes be hard to talk to your friends or other people about your situation. You might be embarrassed or feel like they wouldn’t understand. You might be worried about whether you’re allowed to ask for support, or if you’d be letting anyone down.
It’s always okay to ask for help when you’re caring for someone. Even when you’re managing on your own, getting a little help can make things easier for everyone and help you to feel less alone. You’re never letting anyone down by talking about it.
Support in Bromley
Bromley Well provide support to young carers who are aged from 4 to 19 to help them manage their caring relationships whilst enjoying their childhood.