Young carers

Contents

Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

Young carers

One in ten young people living in the UK are thought to be a Young Carer – that’s approximately 3 Young Carers per classroom! Kent Young Carers supports those aged 5-18yrs who are proving care, support or supervision to any family member that may have; a long-term illness, physical or neurodevelopmental disability, suffering with poor mental health or substance misuse issue.

Imago has been awarded the contract to deliver services for Kent Young Carers across all 12 districts of Kent, supporting an ever-growing number of young carers. A key focus of the project will be working closely with professionals to identify ‘hidden’ young carers—those who may not yet be recognised or receiving support. By raising awareness and improving identification, the initiative aims to ensure that more young people can access the help they need.

What Kent Young Carers can do

provide opportunities for Young Carers to get together to share concerns, suggestions and make their voices heard,
seek funding for trips and activities to provide respite activities across the county,
develop resources and support with Young Carers, to enable them to cope with challenges and concerns,
establish a Young Carers Forum for new ideas to ensure we provide a wide range of services for Young Carers and their families.

In each area there will be a local Coordinator who will be the key contact for families, as well as their Central Hub for additional support. They will regularly ask families for their views about the service and will use this feedback to develop the Kent Young Carers service further.

How can schools support

Due to the growing number of Young Carers across the county, their aim is to build partnerships with schools and community organisations to broaden support for Young Carers. It is anticipated that this will enable more Young Carers access to support not only from their services, but from people they see on a daily basis.

Imago can provide free training for schools, GP surgeries, organisations supporting children and young people and community groups. By the end of the session you will learn the impact of being a Young Carer, how to prevent inappropriate caring, what support is available and how to refer.

Book your place now at Young Carers Awareness Training (Kent) | Eventbrite