Young Carers Support Project

Who are Young Carers..?

A young carer is a young person who looks after a parent or brother or sister who has a long-term illness, physical disability, mental health issue, learning disability or a drug or alcohol problem.

The Project is part of 'Off The Record', a counseling service for young people, and currently works with around 350 young people aged from 7 to 25, who are either the main carer or the secondary carer.

What We Provide...

Emotional Support

There are two project workers who are able to meet on a one-to-one basis with the young people to offer support to them and chat about how things are.

They also organise trips and activities such as go-karting, ice-skating and bowling. This gives the young people an opportunity to take a break from their responsibilities and take part in activities that they may not otherwise get to do.

These trips are a great chance for them to have fun and socialise with others who are in a similar situation to themselves.

Advocacy

The young people are able to contact the project workers or assessment worker for advice or advocacy support on issues ranging from benefits to housing, to schooling, to jobs, to health...and if we can't help you, we'll try to find somebody who can!

Educational Support

Sometimes the young people can miss out on school because of caring responsibilities or problems arising at school. As a result, they may fall behind and be reluctant to go to school or stop attending.

Our Education Support Teacher, Louise Fahey is able to provide them with some tuition at home to help them to catch up and feel more confident about getting back into the education system. She can also talk to the school to arrange support with a range of difficulties and help in managing issues, such as bullying or homework.

Learning Support Club

Young people can come to the weekly learning support club for help with schoolwork and any difficulties relating to school, such as bullying, attendance or friendships. It's at Croydon Library from 3.30 pm - 5.30 pm on Tuesdays during term-time. There are computers available with access to the internet and again, this is an ideal place for them to meet with the other young people and build friendships. There'll also be a chance to pop to the cafe next door if you're done with your work and you just fancy a chat!

Holidays

The project receives some funding which can enable young carers to take a short break if the family is unable to afford it themselves. This can help young people to go away on school trips or away with family or friends if they've not had a holiday for a while.

We also take two groups of young people away each year to an activity centre.

Fundraising

Many of the families who we work with are on benefits, particularly if a parent is unable to work or is requiring care and so where necessary we can help to fundraise for basic necessities such as cookers or washing machines or school uniforms for example.

Befriending

The project trains volunteers to be befrienders for some of the young people who may feel isolated and feel they would like some extra support and individual time at the weekends. This is generally for six months.

The befrienders have a budget to take young carers on trips to the cinema, museums, or to grab a bite to eat, to help them gain confidence and encourage their interests outside the home.

School Support

We also go into some schools to do PSHE lessons, drop-in sessions, staff training and lunchtime clubs.

Young Carers Assessment

All carers are entitled to an asessment of their needs. This gives young carers a chance to sit down with a professional and talk through all the different areas of their life that might be affected by caring for someone else. This can help us see how we can support you.

For more information please ring 020 8649 9339 (option 2).

You might also find it useful to visit the How To...A Guide For Carers In Croydon, an online directory of services.