Don’t be Afraid to Ask For Help – It’s there!
This is probably the first step, and the most important one for a family that is pushing through but struggling when it comes to care for a loved one. There are many charities, non profit organisations, and mentoring groups that are there to direct you to grants and funding, allowances, resources, or even just to have someone to talk to. If you’re a young carer and are finding that your care role is excessive, imposing on your success in school, stressing you out emotionally, or making you feel uncomfortable (like doing tasks you don’t feel you have the training for), then ask for help! To get started take a look at Carers Trust. They are a good central site that provides many links to organisations that focus on support and mentoring for young carers. Other good resources are CarersUK, The Mix, Childline, and the Children’s Society.
Research Grants & Financial Support
There are benefits just for carers, some for people with a disability, and some to help you if you have a low income. There are also funding and grants that can help to cover costs of things like utilities, prescriptions, other health care costs, and potentially extra help like personal in home care by a professional carer etc. Get in touch with your local carers service and see if they can advise you about benefits and support you may be able to claim for. They may be able help you fill out the claim forms. They may also know of other local charities that could help you. For a list of places where you can search for support on Financial support for young carers and their families click here.
Your Education is Important
Across the UK as many as one in 5 children and young people are carers. Of these young people 2 out of 3 report being bullied in school because of their caring role, and most experience an average of 48 school days missed or cut short due to their caring role (Carer’s Trust). If a caring role was appropriate in what it asked of a young carer, then it would not hinder the person’s ability to attend classes, or stop them from enjoying extra curricular activities. Just because you are a young carer, it does not mean that you shouldn’t have the same opportunities as your peers to succeed in school and work. You should have the support to make ambitious plans for the future and achieve them. You have a right to high quality support for both you as a carer, and your loved one who you are caring for. Know your rights!
If you need advice on the matter, alongside reading about it in the links provided in previous paragraphs, speak to a guidance counsellor, or a trusted teacher/mentor at your school or at your workplace. Remember, your teachers and mentors want you to succeed – this is why they became educators and leaders in the first place. If they know about your situation, they will try to work with you to build a plan that will help you succeed.
Friends are Important Too
1 in 3 young carers say that their role makes them feel stressed, and 23% of young carers say that their caring role has stopped them from making friends (Carer’s Trust). As a young carer you may feel that your responsibilities leave you with no choice about the matter – for example: you simply can’t join the school football team because practices are after school which is when you need to be home to provide care. Just remember that as a young person you should have time to do things that are fun and that matter to you. Keeping socially active, having friends that are your age, and taking part in activities that are mentally stimulating and enjoyable are part of your own mental health, and emotional well-being (things you need to continue being a good carer). Friends (even one or two close friends, it doesn’t have to be many at all), that you can talk with, are an important part of your coping mechanism for stress and anxiety.
We’re not saying that your caring role is something you should avoid or hate, or that you should prioritise going to the mall with friends over cooking a meal for your family. Caring for a loved one, a family member, siblings, or whomever it may be, is a rewarding and important role. As a young carer it can give you maturity and insight beyond your years and what’s more it can open doors to extra training, awareness of health care and treatments, and help guide you to something you might be passionate about in a career down the line – maybe you’ll be a nurse, or a doctor one day, or perhaps you’ll work hard to fix the social care system for young carers of the future. What we are saying is that finding a balance is key to your over all happiness and success.
At the end of the day, if you are a young carer, ask for help when you need it, be aware of your rights and the funding/support available to you, and don’t neglect your own goals, ambitions, and friendships. You are not alone, and you are definitely not invisible!
If you’re looking for personal at home carers or nurses or assistance from a carer in your home, take a look at the MyWorkMode platform. We provide local carers in the UK that are qualified, vetted, and trusted all within a 7 day posted availability.
The MyWorkMode Blog 
Like!! Great article post.Really thank you! Really Cool.
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