Oldham Young Carers
Oldham Young Carers service provides social activities through weekly groups and information to Young Carers aged between 8-18 and their families living in the Oldham area. Our award- winning team have been supporting young carers since 2009.
Our team is here to support young people who balance caring responsibilities with everyday life. We provide practical help, emotional support, and opportunities for Young Carers to have time for themselves. Click below, to make a referral.
What is a Young Carer?
If you are a Young Carer, you probably look after one of your parents or care for a sibling. A Young Carer is a young person who cares, unpaid, for a parent, sibling, or other family member within their household who could not manage their day-to-day activities without their help. This can be due to age, physical or mental illness, addiction, or disability.
How We Support Young Carers
We give young carers time away from their caring responsibilities through:
What we do
We know caring responsibilities can have an impact on young carers personal development, confidence, education, friendships, and well-being.
Our aim is to support Young Carers in the Oldham Borough and make sure they get the same opportunities in life, as those who don’t have to care for someone. Our main priorities are to reduce social isolation and improve their positive mental and physical health and well-being
For Young Carers
Young Carers Rights in England
The Children Act 1989
This law explains what councils must do to help children and families who need extra support. It says councils must:
- Make sure young carers and their families get the information, advice, and support they need.
- Work with communities to make sure young carers are noticed and supported.
- Check what young carers need by doing an assessment if they seem to need help or if they or their family ask for one.
The Care Act 2014
This law says councils must:
- Assess older young carers (like those aged 16 and 17) to understand their needs and plan the support they’ll need when they turn 18.
- Make sure young carers aren’t given responsibilities that are too difficult for someone their age.
- Identify any children in a household who are young carers and find out what help they might need.
The Health and Care Act 2022
This law says the NHS must work with councils to:
- Identify young carers and ensure they can get help and advice.
- Ask young carers about the needs of the person they care for.
- Involve young carers in decisions about changes to policies or how health and social care services are provided.
It also says that if a young carer looks after an adult in hospital (including mental health services), the hospital must speak to the young carer before the adult is discharged.
What is a Young Carer Assessment?
A young carer assessment also known as the Your Voice Document is a chance for you to share how it feels to be a young carer and what support you need.
This ensures your voice is heard, especially when decisions are made that affect you. It helps identify the help you need and creates a plan to get support from the right people.
What is included in a Young Carers Assessment?
Once the Your Voice document is completed, if you’re eligible for support, the local council must provide it.
A young carer assessment looks at your situation and your role as a carer. It includes:
- The care you provide and how it affects your wellbeing and daily life.
- Whether you are able and willing to provide care.
- Whether it is appropriate for you, as a child or young person, to be a carer.
- Plans for emergencies and the future, including any arrangements already in place.
- What can help you continue caring while having a life outside of caring and improving your health and wellbeing.
- Support available if you live in a different area from the person you care for.
- Whether you need support to take a break from caring.
- Local support services available to you.
- Any support the council plans to provide for you.
- How and when your young carer assessment will be reviewed.
Who will carry out my Young Carers Assessment?
The person helping you complete your Young Carers Assessment will usually be someone who already supports you, such as your Social/Family Support Worker. It could also be a Young Carers Support Worker or another professional you feel comfortable with. You should always have a say in who helps you with your assessment.
Understanding your rights as a Young Carer
It’s important that you understand all the details in your assessment. The person who helped create it should make sure it is explained clearly to you.
You have the right to view your assessment, and if you’re unhappy with anything in it, you can request changes.
Your Young Carer statement
A young carer statement gives you a chance to share your feelings about being a young carer and what support you need.
The statement ensures your voice is heard, especially in decisions that impact you. It helps you identify the support you need and plan how to get the right help from the right people. Once the statement is complete, if the young carer is eligible for support, the local authority has to provide it.
If you choose to have a young carer statement, the person who will assist you is usually your social worker or another professional you feel comfortable with.
It’s important to choose someone to help you with your statement. For instance, you might want to ask someone you trust from a young carers organisation, a charity, or your school.
Fundraising/Donations
As a charity, we rely greatly on donations and fundraising to provide Young Carers in Oldham with a break from their caring responsibilities to reduce social isolation, increase positive mental health and physical well-being.
We are incredibly grateful for the donations received, which allow us to continue to provide much needed support to the Young Carers in Oldham.
For more information email youngcarers@positive-steps.org.uk