FAQs
Q. What is a young carer?
Young carers are children and young persons under 18 who provide or intend to provide care, assistance or support to another family member. They carry out, often on a regular basis, significant or substantial caring tasks and assume a level of responsibility which would usually be associated with an adult. The person receiving care is often a parent but can be a sibling, grandparent or other relative who is disabled, has some chronic illness, mental health problem or other condition connected with a need for care, support or supervision.
(Becker, S. (2000) ‘Young Carers’ in Davies, M. (ed.) The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Work, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd p. 378.)
Q. What does MSYC do for young carers?
We offer a range of services based on the individual needs of Young Carers and their families. Have a look at our About Us page for more information.
Q. I think I’m a young carer, what should I do?
It is important to talk to somebody that you feel you can trust. This may be a family member, a teacher or a good friend. You can also contact us at MSYC and we can talk about how you feel and what you can do to get the support that you need.
Q. Do we have to pay?
The project is open to children and young people up to the age of 18 and is FREE OF CHARGE.
Q. I want to find out more about my relatives health problem?
It is important that you feel you understand what you need to about your relatives health problem. Here are some tips from yc.net about what you could do…
- Ask the person with the problem. If they don’t want to talk about it, you could tell them how it feels not knowing.
- Talk to the adults who look after the person. Doctors can answer questions about illnesses and disabilities.
- Call MSYC for info and advice or email your question to us.
- Ask a youth worker or connexions worker to help you find the info you want.
- Ring NHS Direct, (NHS 24 in Scotland) or Childline.
- Visit Carers Direct. They have videos, carers stories and lots of useful info for young carers.
If you have any more questions email us at MSYC.
Q. Will what I say remain confidential?
You may talk on the phone to MSYC without even giving your name if you wish. Any details discussed will not be passed on to anyone else without your permission.
It is often better, however, if your parents know as the project can benefit all of the family by making sure there is enough support coming into the home, to enable you to have time to yourself.
Only in exceptional circumstances where there is a serious risk to someone’s safety would it be necessary for information to be shared.
Q. Do all young people involved with MSYC get the same help?
No– all young people involved with MSYC get the kind and range of support that is right for them. Some young people need more support than others. We will always talk to you to find out what kind of support is right for you and will review and keep track of support provided in case we feel we need to offer more.
Q. Can my friend join me on activities with MSYC?
We have been specifically set up to support young carers so we cannot include other young people in our activities.
If your friend is a young carer ask them to make contact with us and we can see how we can best support them.
Q. Will I be able to go on trips and days out with MSYC?
Yes, we organise day trips and outings during the school holidays, such as bowling, trips to theme parks, the cinema and the seaside.
Sometimes we are able to organise longer trips away such as residentials.
Q. What if I do not want social care or my school to know I am a young carer?
That is fine – we will not talk to anyone about you unless you have said we can. The only time we would have to break that rule is if we believed you were in danger of being harmed.
Q. What happens if the person I care for dies, can I still be supported?
Bereavement has affected several of our young carers. Following the death of a parent the project is frequently among the few resources who remain in contact with the children. We now have a number of young people who are helping to support each other to some extent due to having bereavement issues in common.
Children who are coping with such loss are welcome to continue attending club sessions, or to meet with us individually, for as long as they wish. Our staff are trained to deal with bereavement issues.
