A young carer is a young person aged between 5 and 18 who provides significant, regular or on going care, or emotional support to a family member who is mental ill, physically ill or disabled.

Many young people do not recognise themselves as a carer. But, looking after someone who is physically or mentally unwell, can become demanding and can make it difficult to look after yourself.

Many families share tasks and support within their homes. Young carers are those children and young people who have a wider responsibility within the family than their peers, because of the needs of the person being cared for.

The BCP Council young carers service has the following criteria. A BCP Council young carer must:

• be resident in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole
• be between 5 and 18 years of age
• have a caring role for a significant adult or sibling in their family and the significant adult or sibling has a chronic illness, either mental or physical and/or disability (including sensory loss). This will also include drug and alcohol misuse
• undertake care and tasks for this significant adult or sibling. The tasks should be over and above what would normally be expected of a young person, e.g. helping the parent with their personal care, getting them up in the morning, getting them washed, dressed, looking after siblings, helping with medication
• the role of caring may be impacting on the young person's emotional and/or physical health, education or social development.

The support we offer is tailored to each young carer’s situation, making sure their caring role doesn’t negatively affect their wellbeing, education, or daily life. Depending on the young carer’s needs, we can provide helpful information, group activities, regular contact with a support worker, and access to respite trips and events.

BCP Council also offers assessments to understand what kind of help is most appropriate, and with consent, the team will let the young person’s school know they are a young carer.

Our goal is to make sure every young carer feels supported, understood, and able to enjoy their childhood.

Please refer to the brief and complete graduated response document:

BCP Young Carers Graduated Response

The graduated response is a framework used to identify and support young carers based on the level of impact their caring responsibilities have on their daily lives.

It ensures that help is tailored to the child’s needs by categorizing support into three levels:

Level 1 (Universal and Community): Young carers manage low-level responsibilities with minimal impact on their wellbeing and daily activities, supported by family and community networks.

Level 2 (Partnership Support): Young cares involved in medium-level caring duties that begin to affect school, social life, and emotional health, with support plans and regular engagement from Early Help (EH) services.

Level 3/4 (Targeted Intervention): Young carers often take on daily responsibilities that can be highly disruptive, especially when they lack adequate support. These responsibilities may seriously affect their education, health, and family stability. To ensure they receive the help they need, support options include online engagement, group sessions, full assessments, respite activities, and the Young Carers Identification Card (YCID), all tailored to their individual circumstances.

Please refer to the Graduated Response document with detailed information.

To make a referral please contact Early Help Access Point (EHAP)

Professional line: 01202 126666

Public line: 01202 126668

Email: EHaccesspoint@bcpcouncil.gov.uk

Alternatively complete the self-referral form via the link below:

Supporting Young Carers

Below is a list of charities who support Young Carers across the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole region:

MYTime Charity - support Young Carers aged 5 to 18 years including residential opportunities and workshops.

The Honeypot Children’s Charity - support Young Carers aged 5 to 12 years through respite breaks and outreach opportunities.

The Leonardo Trust - help young and adult carers. They offer counselling support to Young Carers and also provide support for Young Carer’s hobbies and interests.

SoundStorm provide support for Young Carers with an interest in music. Young Carers can hire musical instruments. Funding may also be available for musical instruments and music lessons.

Carers UK provides a range of information and advice for carers.

Sibs and YoungSibs provide support for children who are siblings of a disabled child or adult. Young Sibs is specifically aimed at siblings under the age of 18 and their parents. The site has an on-line platform and a chat function for young sibling carers.

The Mix provide online support for young carers.

Young Carers - Help & Support - Carers Trust

Young carers - Barnardos

Help for young carers - Social care and support guide - NHS

Young Carers | Mental Health Advice - Young Minds