A young carer is someone under 18 who helps to look after someone that they live with who is ill, disabled or misuses drugs or alcohol. Most children and young people help at home in some way but young carers do more than their peers. Their family members rely on their help to do the things that they find difficult or can't do at all.  

Examples of what a young carer may have to do include:

• 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 bath, wash or dress
• managing the family budget and collecting prescriptions
• helping to give medicine
• helping someone communicate
• taking responsibility for brothers and sisters when parents are too unwell to do it themselves - this can include taking younger siblings to school

The Young Carer Service at Carers Trust Tyne and Wear works with 5 to17 year olds living in Gateshead, and believes that young carers should have a life of their own alongside their caring role. Being a young carer shouldn't prevent you from having time for yourself, making friends, being happy and healthy or having the same opportunities as your peers. Staff understand the lives that young carers and their families lead and treat them with respect and compassion. They provide a range of services that address the issues that young carers say are important, such as social opportunities, emotional support, education support and programmes to promote health, wellbeing and personal development.

The Young Carer Service has been commissioned by Gateshead Council to carry out Young Carer Needs Assessments and provides one to every young carer joining the project. They can provide Transition Assessments to young carers approaching 18 which explore the support that you might require as you become an adult. The Service also provides grants on behalf of the Council through their Wellbeing Fund, which can enable you to purchase items that you feel will support your wellbeing.

Requesting a service

Young carers, families and professionals can request a service online through the Carer's Trust Tyne and Wear website(opens new window).

Contact

01207 549 780
enquiries@gatesheadcrossroads.org.uk
www.carerstrusttw.org.uk(opens new window)
The Old School, Smailes Lane Highfield, Rowlands Gill NE39 2DB.

The UK’s leading charity fighting for a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health.

It takes courage to ask for help. But for many young people who do, the support they need just isn’t there. Hundreds of thousands of young people are struggling with their mental health, but too many are being told to wait, struggling to cope and hitting a crisis point before they get help.

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https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/what-is-mental-health/

The Little Orange Book contains advice and tips on how to manage common illnesses and problems that babies and young children often experience in the first 5 years of their lives. It also has information on more serious conditions, what to look out for and how to get help. Dr Kate Cushing Local GP with specialist training in paediatrics BSc ,MBChB, PhD, MRCP, MRCPCH, MRCGP, PGMedEd

This book was produced by Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group with invaluable help from GPs, Health Visitors, Practice Managers and Staff, Pharmacists, Paediatricians, Children's Nurses and Parents and Carers.  We very much hope you’ll find it useful.

It can be downloaded for free at: www.newcastlegatesheadccg.nhs.uk