Young Carers

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Young Carers at Madani Schools

At Madani Schools, we aim to inspire every member of the school community to achieve their full potential and enjoy the experience. As part of this we aim to provide a learning community for young people which keeps them safe, supports their learning and enables them to meet their full potential.

A Young Carer is defined as someone who is under 18 years of age who provides regular and ongoing care to a family member who is physically or mentally ill, disabled, or misuses substances. These individuals will take on additional responsibilities to those appropriate to their age and development.

Young carers may be primary carers, such as caring for a parent, or a secondary carer, such as helping to care for a sibling.

At Madani Schools we acknowledge that students may be Young Carers without having an official assessment and that students could be carers temporarily.

Support that we may be able to offer for Young Carers is support with homework and extra-curricular activities, targeted intervention to support achievement where necessary and a safe place to support mental health and well-being.

If you believe your child falls into this category or you would like support or more information then please fill in the online form below or email help@madani.leicester.sch.uk

Are you a young carer?

One in 12 secondary pupils are young carers – you are not alone!

If you’re a student who is looking after someone at home, we will try to support you as much as possible with specialised help and advice.

Students who regularly look after someone, sometimes don’t think of themselves as young carers, and don’t realise that help and support is available.

“You're a young carer if you're under 18 and regularly help to look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or alcohol or substance abuse problem. If you're a young carer, you probably look after one of your parents or care for a brother or sister.

You may do extra jobs in and around the home, such as cooking, cleaning, or helping someone get dressed and move around.

You may also give a lot of physical help to a brother or sister who's disabled or ill. Along with doing things to help your brother or sister, you may be giving them and your parents emotional support, too.” (NHS Definition)

At Madani Schools we’re listening and we want to help.

If you think you are a young carer, please let us know. If you need it, we can support you in many ways, with accessing financial support, with your health and wellbeing, and more.

Whether you’re looking for advice, support or just want to talk to someone, get in touch. Fill in the online form below or email help@madani.leicester.sch.uk

Click Here to complete the Young Carers Student Information Survey

Any information you give will be treated sensitively and will not be shared without your knowledge. We will not discuss your caring role in front of your classmates.

Being a young carer: your rights

You're a young carer if you're under 18 and help to look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem.

If you're a young carer, you probably look after one of your parents or care for a brother or sister.

You may do extra jobs in and around the home, such as cooking, cleaning or helping someone get dressed and move around.

You may also give a lot of physical help to a parent, brother or sister who's disabled or ill.

Along with doing things to help your brother or sister, you may be giving them and your parents emotional support, too.

Your choices about caring

Some people start giving care at a very young age and don't really realise they're carers. Other young people become carers overnight.

If someone in your family needs to be looked after, you may really want to help them. But as a young carer, you shouldn't be doing the same things as adult carers.

Nor should you be spending a lot of your time caring for someone, as this can get in the way of you doing well at school and doing the same kinds of things as other children or young people.

It's important you decide how much and what type of care you're willing or able to give, or whether you should be a carer at all.

Decide whether you're the right person to offer the care needed by the person you look after.

All disabled adults are entitled to support from their local council, depending on their needs, so they shouldn't have to rely on their children to care for them.

Find out more about who can help young carers

Young carers' rights

If you or your parents request it, a social worker from your local council must visit to carry out a young carer's assessment.

This assessment is different from the one adult carers have. It'll decide what kind of help you and your family might need.

Even if the council has already carried out one of these assessments, they must do another if you or your parents feel that your needs or circumstances have changed.

A young carer's assessment can determine whether it's appropriate for you to care for someone else, and takes into account whether you want to be a carer.

The social worker must also look at your education, training, leisure opportunities and views about your future.

As part of the assessment, the social worker must ask about your wishes and involve you, your parents and anyone else you or your parents want to be involved.

All these people should receive a written record of the assessment. This will include whether the council thinks you need support, whether their services could provide you with it, and whether they'll give you it.

It should also explain what you can do if you or your parents disagree with the assessment.

If you and the person you care for both agree, the local council can assess your needs as a young carer and the needs of the person you care for at the same time.

If you're 16 or over and not in full-time education, you may be eligible for help finding work, as well as with your family's finances (for instance, through benefits such as Carer's Allowance).

Find out more about Carer's Allowance from GOV.UK

Getting an assessment is the best way to find out what's available in your situation.

Find out about having a carer's assessment

Getting help

In addition to informing the school to receive information and support:

For advice and support with care issues, call the Carers Direct helpline on 0300 123 1053. If you're deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing or have impaired speech, contact the Carers Direct helpline using the textphone or minicom number 0300 123 1004.

Other organisations that can offer help and advice are:

• NHS help for young carers
• The Children's Society
• Carers UK
• Youth Access

Locally you may access support via:

• Leicester City Council help for young carers
• Barnardo'S Carefree Project (Young Carers) Leicester
• The Carers Centre Leicestershire & Rutland