What is a Young Carer?

If you are under 18 and look after someone who is ill, disabled or uses drugs or alcohol, then you are a young carer.

Remember you are not alone – Carers in Hertfordshire is here to support you.

A young carer is someone under the age of 18 who does things that would normally be done by an adult. Often, this means you do jobs to help a family member meet their daily needs.

The person you support might have a physical disability, long term illness or mental illness or ill-health. They could misuse drugs or alcohol.

 You might do tasks such as cooking meals, going shopping or making sure someone takes their medicine. Or you may give someone emotional support.

Support for Young Carers

We know that looking after a loved one can be hard. It can impact your social life, school work and sometimes your mood.

Fortunately, you are not alone – the Young Carers Team is here for you. We have plenty of social, emotional and practical support that gives you a break from caring so you can lead a life of your own.

When you get in touch, you’ll talk to a friendly member of our team who will make sure you get the support that’s right for you.

To find out more about what we can do for you, visit our Support for Young Carers page.

Get Help Today

Think you might be a young carer?

You can now register yourself online on our Register or Refer page. We will then be in touch to see how we can help.

You can also download and email a completed Young Carer Self Referral Form, and we’ll talk to you about all the ways we can help.

If you are under 16, we will need your parent or guardian’s details and consent if you would like to register with us as a young carer.

Email: young.carers@carersinherts.org.uk

Telephone: 01992 58 69 69

Over 16 and Caring?

If you are 16 – 25 years old and caring for someone, you are a Young Adult Carer.

We know it can be challenging to care for someone while working, studying and making big life decisions. Remember that you’re not alone – we’re here to support you with your responsibilities.

The Young Carers team usually work with young adult carers until their 19^th birthday. However, if you are first referred to us when you are already 18 then it will make more sense for you to get support directly from the adult carer teams at Carers in Hertfordshire. You can find out more about this support. There, you’ll find out about:

• Benefits you can receive
• Local support groups
• Getting a break from caring
• Workshops, courses and events
• Ways to learn new skills and hobbies

It is really important to us that you also feel like you would benefit from support from us, so if you are aged 16 or over then we will need your consent to work with you, as well as your parent/guardian. However if you’re worried your parents wouldn’t be happy for you to register with us then please still give us a call, and we can talk about how we can help. If you are under 16 then we need your parent/guardian to give consent for us to support you.

For more information, head to the Carers in Hertfordshire website or call 01992 58 69 69.