Young carers

Young carers are entitled to an assessment of their needs under the Children and Families Act and Care Act 2014.

The Early Help team are responsible for completing the young carers' assessment. This forms part of the Multi Agency Early Help Initial Assessment/Pathway.

This is an opportunity for families, young people and children to talk with a member of staff from Early Help. Young carers can share information about their responsibilities and how this makes them feel. Together, we will consider what help is available.

This includes support for the young carer's health, wellbeing, and education, as well as help to access a young carers' group where they can meet friends and enjoy activities.

Many young carers can struggle to keep with some of the aspects of their education.

This includes:

• missing lessons to accompany the person they are caring for attending appointments
• being late for school sometimes, due to the caring responsibilities they will do before starting school 
• struggling at times to complete homework on time due to their caring responsibilities and busy home life

From March 2020 Walsall Young Carers Service have offered support to schools and request each school in Walsall identify a young carers champion. 

The role of a young carers champion is to: 

• Actively raise awareness about young carers within your service 
• Be the first point of contact for young carers who use your service 
• Be identifiable as a Young Carers Champion 
• ttend the Walsall Young Carers action Group and feedback how your service is working with young carers, help develop further the young carers support service in Walsall, providing a chance to make a real difference
• support and advocate for children and young people who do an amazing role caring for family members
• access training which will identify you as a Young Carers Champion
• Access networking opportunities with professionals from a wide range of services

All schools can download a copy of our young carers posters and leaflets to promote Walsall young carers in school .  

We've introduced ID cards to help you to:

• identify the children and young people who are young carers
• understand what their caring responsibilities may include
• tailor the support you can offer to them

We are asking for more professionals to step forward as  young carers champions within Walsall.

The role includes:

• raising awareness about young carers
• being a first point of contact
• being identifiable as a young carers champion 
• supporting and advocating for children and young people
• keeping young carers on school agendas
• distributing information to school staff
• receiving training and a certificate
• networking with professional from a wide range of services
• making young carers aware of what their school can do to support them

They will also attend the Walsall Young Carers Action Group, who meet 4 times a year. They'll feed back on how the service is working with young carers, and help develop the young carers support service in Walsall.

If you would like more information please contact us by email.

Walsall Young Carers Service offers a whole family approach to our young carers, parents and siblings. Parents are asked to take part in their child's young carers assessment and will be offered family days, family activities and parent events throughout the year. 

Young Carers Action Day - Taking Action on Isolation

Young carers action day is an annual awareness day for Young carers held every March.  Walsall Early Help partnership support young carers action day and deliver a range of activities to raise awareness of young carers and the issues that are important to them.  Our young carers action day events include: 

• The impact of being a young carer
• How you and your service can get involved and the difference you can make
• Training and resources for your service
• Enrichment and celebration activities for our young carers in Walsall 

If you need more information, please contact us by email.

Walsall Early Help and partners from Health and Education meet quarterly to work together building a Young Carers Service in partnership. 

if you would like to be part of our Young Carers team, please contact us by email.

The 'Young Carer Aware' training aims to:

• Raise professional’s awareness of  young carer’s and what do they do?
• Improve understanding of legislation and children’s rights that underpin the support we provide
• Support professionals in meeting the needs of young carers

Find out more and take part in the 'Young Carer Aware' online training.