WELCOME TO CARMARTHENSHIRE YOUNG CARERS SERVICE

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WELCOME TO CARMARTHENSHIRE YOUNG CARERS SERVICE
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WHO ARE WE?

• Carmarthenshire Young Carers Service was set up
  in 1995.
• It is a partnership service between Barnardos,
  Social services and the Local Health Board.

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YOUNG CARERS

• What is a young carer?
• There are many definitions of the term young
  carer.

• The Welsh Assembly use the following definition
• A young carer is someone under 18 whose life is
  restricted because of the need to take
  responsibility for a family member due to
  sickness, disability, mental health, and alcohol
  or drug problems.

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What do we know?

• There are an estimated 3,000 Young carers in
  Wales, up to 500 in Carmarthenshire alone.
• The average age of a young carer is 12
• Young carers experience difficulties with their
  education, mental and physical health, social and
  leisure opportunities.

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• Many young carers are late for school, have
  difficulties doing homework and have little time
  for study.

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• Many young carers experience depression, have low
  self-esteem and lack confidence.

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• Young carers are often socially isolated as they
  are unable to go out with friends or have them to
  their house

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• A high percentage of young carers are bullied
  both in and out of school.

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Some history

• When the service was first set up in 1995,
  support was offered to all young carers within
  the locality.

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• By 2001 there were over 110 young carers known to
  the service and resource constraints made it
  impossible to meet the demand. The service had
  become largely activity based.
• Difficult decisions had to be made by the
  Partnership group, a strict criteria had to be
  set and the service focus changed from activities
  to more specific interventions.

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Our criteria

• The Service is able to offer support to 40 young
  carers who are considered to be in priority need.
• Priority cases include
• Those young people caring for a lone parent where
  the parent has a significant illness, disability,
  mental health problem or severe substance misuse
  issues. This results in the young carer
  undertaking the majority of household tasks.
• Young carers whose welfare is potentially at risk
  due to their caring role.
• Dual carers who are supporting a parent and a
  sibling with significant difficulties.

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Criteria contd.

• Young carers supporting individuals with
  degenerative or terminal conditions where the
  person requires complex medical intervention and
  has high support needs (inc. Siblings)
• Young carers who are not attending school due to
  their caring role or whose educational
  attainments are being significantly affected.
• Young carers who are socially isolated due to
  their caring role and have low self-esteem,
  depression, lack of confidence and so forth.

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What do young carers do?

• Many young carers have to take on an adult role
  from an early age, sometimes as young as 5. This
  can include
• Household chores inc. cleaning, cooking, ironing,
  gardening etc.
• Shopping, collecting prescriptions etc,

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• Personal care including washing, dressing,
  toileting, giving medication
• Offer emotional support

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What support do we offer?

• Although the focus of the Scheme is on the young
  carers needs, we use a holistic family approach
  to
• Work together to decide on a plan of action that
  best meets the young carers needs
• Provide information on specific disabilities,
  benefits, support groups in an age appropriate
  manner.

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• Offer emotional support, giving the young people
  someone to talk to about their concerns.
• Empower young carers to make their own choices
  and have a voice
• Advocacy support

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• Support inclusion in community activities.
• Provide specific targeted 1-1 and small group
  work with sessional workers.
• Refer to other agencies who can address specific
  needs.

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• Raise awareness of the needs of young carers on
  both an operational and strategic level by
  networking with Health, Education, Social
  Services and other voluntary groups.
• Input into research etc.
• We are setting up a website that will hopefully
  be online shortly so watch this space!

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What about all the other young carers?

• We are trying to secure further funding to work
  with sibling carers who we are no longer able to
  support.
• We need additional resources to work with
  transitional young carers reaching adulthood,
  ideally up to age 25.
• Without support, these young carers are left to
  face many difficulties on their own.

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There are many positives about being a young
carer.

• Young carers do not need our pity but our
  understanding and support.

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Here are some of our stories.