Action for Young Carers Service Nottinghamshire Carers Conference 2017 Welcome everyone, introduce yourself and domestics

Introductions

What is a young carer? The Children & Families Act 2014 defines a young carers as: “A person under 18 years old who provides or intends to provide unpaid care for another person who is ill, disabled or misuses substances. The concept of care includes personal, practical or emotional support. Briefly explain that the Children & Families Act 2014 is one of two pieces of legislation that give all carers rights in law. The other legislation is the Care Act.

What do young carers do? Some things may include: Practical things – washing, cooking, cleaning Personal care – dressing, bathing etc Emotional support – listening, calming down Physical lifting or carrying Fetching and prompting medication Keeping someone safe Managing money Interpreting etc

The impact Positive: Negative: Feel important, valued & included More confident & able to deal with problems Learn empathy & to be resilient Early life skills – looking after the home, managing budgets & booking appointments etc Feel closer Peer support / respect for others Motivation – increased desire to succeed Doing too much (inappropriate & excessive) Feeling different (bullied) Physical health (lifting) Isolated Worrying about the future Struggling with / missing school Lack of self-care Low self-esteem & self-worth Increased maturity! Briefly read the positives as well as negatives. Explain that caring can be a very rewarding and skill learning experience for children and young people but can also be detrimental if inappropriate or excessive. There is a duty on us all to safeguard young carers from too much caring!

Action for Young Carers- what we do! Assessment of needs Young Carer groups (primary and secondary age) Activities during school half terms. Young carers groups (term time) 1:1 face to face support Young Carer consultations Access to Young Carer App Young Carer ID Cards. Speak to people on behalf of both parents and Young Carers

Interpersonal development

Health and Wellbeing

Creative Expression

Self Esteem Building

Learning new skills

Reducing Isolation

Positive Outcomes “Excellent communication, friendly AYC staff, all in all it’s been a wonderful experience for my son and us as a family. Many thanks!” -Family supported by AYC