Young carers
Who is a young carer?
Anyone under the age of 18 who cares for or helps to care for a family member is a young carer. You could be caring for someone because:
- they have a physical disablility
- they have a sensory impairment
- they have mental health support needs
- they have a learning disability
- they misuse drugs or alcohol
- they have any combination of the above
If you are a young carer, caring for someone in your family can be very rewarding, but for many young carers it is important to have support to help them to cope with the pressures that come with this responsibility.
Support for Young Carers
Barnet Young Carers and Siblings (BYCAS) provides a range of services to young carers, including:
- activities and outings
- advocacy
- advice and support
- clubs
- counselling
- newsletter
- school tuition
- support groups
These services are also available to people under 18 who have a brother or sister with special needs, health problems or who misuse drugs or alochol. There are currently around 340 people using the Barnet Young Carers and Siblings service.
The staff at BYCAS work with professionals to provide them with information, advice and training which may help them to understand the issues that affect young carers. For more information about the services available, or to make a referral for someone under 18, you can contact the Barnet Young Carers and Siblings at Barnet Carers Centre:
- Address: Barnet Carers Centre, 3rd Floor Global House, 303 Ballards Lane, North Finchley N12 8NP
- Tel: 020 8343 9698
- Fax: 020 8445 1193
- Email: bycas@barnetcarers.org
Email this pageLast modified by: Webmaster on 29/07/2008