A 'Young Carer' is a child or young adult who spends time looking after or helping a member of their family who because of an illness or disability, mental health problem or drug and alcohol issue is unable to take care of everyday tasks themselves without some help. The help you may give could be shopping, making meals, doing the laundry, or perhaps you help out with nursing care, e.g. giving medication or lifting someone up and downstairs or in and out of bed. Maybe you give your time just to be with someone when they need company.

If you live in Stockport and this sounds like you and what you do, maybe we can be of some help.

How many young carers are there?

• There are about 700,000 young carers in the UK
• That’s about one in 12 secondary aged pupils
• There are likely to be young carers in every school and college.

What might a young carer do?

• Practical tasks, such as cooking, housework and shopping
• Physical care, such as helping someone out of bed
• Emotional support, such as talking to someone who is distressed
• Personal care, such as helping someone dress
• Managing the family budget and collecting prescriptions
• Helping to give medicine
• Helping someone communicate
• Looking after brothers and sisters.

Being a young carer can have a big impact on the things that are important to growing up. It can affect a young person’s health, social life and self-confidence. Many young carers struggle to juggle their education and caring which can cause pressure and stress

• In a survey, 39% said that nobody in their school was aware of their caring role
• 26% have been bullied at school because of their caring role
• 1 in 20 miss school because of their caring role.

But young people can learn lots of useful skills by being a young carer.

If you think you or someone you know is a Stockport young carer and not coping, please get in touch with Signpost. Please let us know about you by phoning the office for a chat on 0161 947 4690 or email [email protected] or you can text Katy on 07540 722371.