What is a young carer?
A young carer is a child or young person up to the age of 16 (a young adult carer is up to the age of 25) whose life is affected by looking after someone with a disability, long-term illness, health condition, or addiction. They carry out, often on a regular basis, significant or substantial caring tasks and assume levels of responsibility usually associated with an adult. The person they care for may be a parent, a sibling, or another family member, and the care they give may be practical, physical and/or emotional.
How do we support young carers in Great Yarmouth Borough?
We provide a comprehensive support package tailored to the needs of young carers and young adult carers.
This includes one-to-one mentoring, offering a safe space to talk through worries and challenges with a trusted adult. This will usually happen in school every other week for six sessions. Longer can be offered if required but after these sessions a place in support group will be offered.
We run nine age-specific programmes plus a programme for home educated young carers, with special exciting events often taking place during school holidays.
Our peer support groups give young people vital respite from their caring roles, with opportunities for fun and learning through trips, sports, training and workshops. These groups meet in the evenings after school/college and in the holidays, they are school year appropriate and there is a group for each school year and then another group for school leavers and college. We have also a peer support for home educated young carers which meet with two workers every third Wednesday in the local library space.
The young carers play an active role in shaping their experience by helping create and review group expectations and session plans.
We also provide clear session programmes each term so young carers know what to expect, which helps them feel comfortable, included and supported.
We would like all young carers who are involved with our service to feel:
- Less isolated
- They have made a new friend
- They have had new experiences
- They feel more confident about their caring role
- They most importantly have had fun!
Session programmes
Session programmes are provided to families. If you need another copy, please email gygyc@caringtogether.org or call us on 01493 650056.
Meet our team
Jo
Claire
Ricky
Kim
Donna-Lisa
Demi
Make a referral
To make a referral for a young person, please complete our Referral Form. Please note we only accept referrals from professionals.
Contact us
Want to know more? Or maybe you’re an existing member and have a question. Give the team a call or drop them an email.
