If you are a carer under the age of 18 years who is providing care, including secondary care, to a vulnerable adult over 18 years you should contact the Lewisham Young Carers Project.
Young carers are children and young people who are the carers of a sick or disabled parent or sibling, or a parent with a drug or alcohol problem. Estimates of the number of young carers in the UK vary between 15,000 and 50,000.
As a young carer you have the same rights as other carers under the NHS and Community Care Act (1990). You may even be considered as a ‘child in need’ yourself under the Children's Act (1989). This depends on whether we at Lewisham Council’s Children’s Services considers that your caring role prevents you from achieving or maintaining full school attendance and a reasonable standard of social opportunities.
Young carers can face serious caring responsibilities. In addition to the daily tasks you complete for your parents (such as emotional support, housework, cooking and bathing) you may live with the added pressure of school and, often, a lack of understanding from schoolmates. The physical and emotional strain is sometimes too much – maybe you skip school and suffer depression.