At The Bridge, we believe that all children have the right to an education regardless of their home life. We understand that there are likely to be young carers among our learners and that being a young carer can have an adverse effect on a young person’s education. We hope that we will be able to relieve some of the worries that young carers may have about home and their academics.

Who are Young Carers?

Young carers are children and young people whose lives are affected by looking after someone at home. They are carrying out tasks and responsibilities in addition to those appropriate for their age. The person they look after may have one or more of the following:

• Physical disability.
• Mental health issues.
• Learning difficulties.
• Alcohol- or drug-related problems.
• Long-term illness.

The person they care for may be a parent, sibling, or grandparent and the care they give may be physical and/or emotional. Young carers’ responsibilities may include:

• Personal care (e.g. bathing, dressing, feeding).
• Giving or prompting medication/injections.
• Shopping.
• Housework.
• Emotional support.
• Looking after younger siblings.
• Budgeting and paying bills.

If you feel that your child may be a young carer, please feel free to get in touch to discuss the support that we can put into place.