Young Carers

Young carers do an amazing job and often feel very proud of the job they do.

What is a Young Carer?

A Young Carer is a person aged between 5 and 25 who cares for, or who is affected by, a family member who has a physical disability, a long-term physical illness, a mental health illness or a dependency on drugs and/or alcohol. 

Young Carers do more in the family home than would usually be expected by a child of their age. This might mean that they do the shopping or manage the household bills, support someone emotionally or provide help to someone to get them washed and dressed.

We know that there are hundreds of Young Carers in Suffolk but many are hidden because they do not realise that they are a young carer, or because of fears of stigma/external involvement.

Being a Young Carer can have a significant impact on their physical and mental health, educational attainment and their transition into adulthood.

Information and Support

Suffolk County Council provide an information service for Young Carers called Activities Unlimited. The service helps to raise awareness about Young Carers and the issues they may face. It also provides information to professionals such as health and social care workers, teachers and community groups, as well as to Young Carers themselves.

Suffolk Family Carers are the commissioned service to complete statutory Young Carer and Transition Assessments on behalf of Suffolk County Council for carers aged 5-18 years. 

Should you wish to learn about Young Carers, please complete the eLearning module which can be found on the Suffolk Family Carers website. 

In addition, Suffolk Family Carers Young Carers service provide needs led support, information and guidance for young carers and their families. 

The service works with education settings via their Schools Award as a means of raising awareness and embedding support for pupils with a caring role.  

If you are a professional working alongside Young Carers please subscribe to our quarterly newsletter Newsletters | Suffolk Family Carers