Young carers support

A young carer is someone aged under 25 who cares for a friend or family member who - due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction - cannot cope without their support. Young carers aged 18 to 25 are often referred to as young adult carers.

They could be doing tasks such as:

  • shopping
  • cooking
  • laundry
  • taking care of siblings
  • helping someone dress or bathe
  • administering and organising medication
  • accompanying them to appointments
  • offering emotional support
  • translating
  • contributing to or managing family finances.

As many as 1 in 12 secondary school-aged young people have a caring role. Roughly 1 in 5 young people will have had a caring role before they reach the age of 18.

What are the impacts of a caring role on a young person?

  • Young carers are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than non-carers.
  • Young carers are more likely to self-harm than non-carers.
  • Those who self-harm are twice as likely to do so in an attempt to take their own life.
  • Many young carers having feelings of worry, stress, isolation, as well as concerns about finances and the cost of living crisis.
  • Many young carers say there is no one at school or at work who understands what their life is like.
  • On average a young person misses 27 school days per year, placing them in the 'persistent absentee' category for OFSTED.
  • 32.9% of young carers are classed as NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) compared to only 5.3% who are non-carers.
  • Young carers are five times more likely to not be able to complete their college course, and up to 86% less likely to have a degree qualification.

What rights do young carers have?

All young carers have the right to a young carers assessment from the local authority.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing the young carers' need for support. This has to happen in cases where the local authority are aware that a child is a carer or where a family identifies a child as a carer.

The assessment must involve the needs of the family as a whole, according to the Children and Families Act 2014 (part 5 Section 96) and Young Carers (Needs Assessments) Regulations 2015. Included in the Health and Care Act 2022 is a duty placed on Integrated Care Boards to ensure that carers, including young carers, are included in decisions around hospital discharge, diagnosis, treatment and care.

What support is available for young carers?

Young Carers Notts helps young carers aged five to 17 to take a break and get information, advice and support. They can offer:

  • information, advice and guidance
  • access to carers conversations and assessments
  • 1:1 and group support
  • health and wellbeing support
  • activities across city and county
  • regular events to meet other young carers
  • referral to social care services
  • connecting with other organisations
  • co-production opportunities
  • support plans
  • young carer travel cards
  • young carer ID cards.

The Carers Hub Service provides support to young adult carers who are aged 18 to 25.

What is the process for referral?

You can access the referral form for the Young Carers Notts service.

If you need a  paper version or PDF file sending out then you can contact them by telephone or email.

Young Carers Notts (provided by TuVida):

The form is very simple to complete and we aim to respond within four weeks, depending on demand.

We recommend that the Young Carers Notts Service is the first port of call for both professionals and families. However, if you wish to access a Young Carers Assessment from Nottinghamshire County Council you can contact them directly on 0300 500 8080.

You can access Young Adult Carer Support by contacting the Carers Hub Service (provided by the Carers federation).

Carers Federation Carers Hub:

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