Young adult carers are young people aged 16–25 who care, unpaid, for a family member or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition or an addiction.
Young Adult Carers age 18 and over do not require parental consent for a referral to support services.
What kind of tasks might a young adult carer do?
- Practical things, such as cooking, housework and shopping.
- Physical care, such as helping someone out of bed.
- Emotional support, such as talking or listening to someone who is distressed.
- Personal care, such as helping someone dress, shower or go to the toilet.
- Managing the family budget.
- Collecting prescriptions.
- Helping to give someone their medication.
- Helping someone communicate.
- Taking care of brothers and sisters.
Looking after family members or friends can impact on your life.
- It can affect a young person’s health, social life and self confidence – over 45% reported a mental health problem (Carers Trust).
- Many struggle to manage their education, working life and caring role which can cause pressure and stress.
- Research on young adult carers, no longer in education, showed their highest qualifications were GCSEs grade D–G (Carers Trust).
- 29% had dropped out of college/university because of their caring role. This is four times greater than the national average for degree courses.
One of the positive aspects of being a young adult carer is the transferable skills you will pick up that will support you in your adulthood and potentially your career.
Who can support you?
Next Steps Transition Service
Next Steps is for young people with caring responsibility aged 15- 25. Next Steps offers a range of support dependant on your circumstances to help you to manage your caring responsibilities.
The Next Steps service has been co-designed with local young carers from the logo to the service offer.
- A Transition Assessment has been designed and implemented which identifies reasonable adjustment that are required to support young adult carers through into new provision.
- A Young Adult Carers passport has been developed to prevent carers having to continually retell their story as they move through services with age.
- The team offer personalised support planning for young adult carers to transition into adult provision.
Contact details:
Phone: 01642 756000 or 01642 488977
Text/Whats App: General information-07767117556 Monday to Friday 9-5pm
Email: info@carerstogether-rc.org.uk or info@thejunctionfoundation.co.uk
Website: www.thejunctionfoundation.com or www.carerstogether.co.uk
Social Media: Facebook/Instagram/TikTok/Twitter- Next Steps R C