Young Carers

Young carers are children and young people under 18 who take on caring tasks and responsibilities within their family that most of us only do as adults. The term does not apply to the everyday and occasional help around the home that may often be expected of children in families.

The person you care for could be a parent, grandparent, a brother, sister or a family friend. The person you look after may have a physical disability, a progressive disease, a mental health difficulty or a substance misuse problem.

It can be rewarding to care and help your family cope, but you should still be able to relax and have some fun, which is what West Berkshire's Young Carers Project is all about.
 

How we can help

• reducing the amount of caring you have to do
• talking with your school or college about how to support you
• making sure you get regular breaks to spend time with friends
• supporting you and making sure you've got someone to talk to

Watch the video below for an introduction to our Young Carers service:

Contact us

If you are a young carer, you can contact our friendly team directly to talk about how we can help. If you are a family friend that is concerned about a young carer, you can make initial contact on behalf of the young person.

• Email: EarlyRHub@westberks.gov.uk
• Telephone: 01635 503090

A GP, Care Manager or other professional can also contact us using our 'Refer a Young Carer' online form.