CANW’s Young Carers service provides help and support to young people living in Blackburn with Darwen, aged 5-18, who are providing emotional and/or physical support to a family member due to ill health.

Who is classed as a Young Carer

A Young Carer is a young person aged 5-18 who is helping to look after a parent or sibling with an illness or disability.  They may be helping to look after a loved one with an:

• illness and/or disability
• mental health issues
• substance abuse problems

What support is available to Young Carers? 

The overarching aim of the service is to look at ways of reducing the Young Carers’ caring role by offering timely support including one to one support / and respite (time out from caring), signposting families to services, and helping the Young Carer to find out about other services and activities that are available to them. The service provides;

• young carers assessment undertaken
• 1:1 sessions offered
• respite offered in the form of group sessions
• advocate on Young Person’s behalf at meetings
• school support
• information, advice and guidance
• family support/signpost
• emotional wellbeing support
• social activities
• a chance to influence the services which support them

Two Young Carers tell their story 

Support for Young Carers during COVID-19

No face to face support is currently offered, instead, Young Carers, attending or not attending school, are supported by;

• an initial telephone assessment with the family
• one to one support for Young Carers offered via video calling, zoom, WhatsApp, Facebook, etc
• online weekly interactive group sessions, with other Young Carers offered via Zoom and other social platforms
• continuing to advocate on behalf of Young Carers at meetings by using Zoom/Skype

For a short period, a young person may find themselves caring for a parent/sibling who has contracted the Covid-19 virus.  The young person may have no outlet, particularly as schools will be closed, and so perhaps in this instance, the young person may become a Young Carer in the interim. 

Contact details 

• the team are available Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm, as well as some evenings 
• phone: 07787504035
• email: [email protected]

Download the referral form 

CANW Young Carers on ITV

Find out more 

• www.canw.org.uk/early-support/young-carers/
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