Best Practice

Life as a young carer – and how schools can help

Pupil wellbeing
Being a young carer can have a significant impact on a child’s schooling, but too often they are suffering in silence. Rhian Beynon explains more about the Be Bothered campaign while Chloe, a young carer, gives us an insight into her home and school life.

From the outside, Chloe might seem like any other teenager, but dig a little deeper and you will find she is very different from your normal 12-year-old.

Like 175,000 young people in the UK, Chloe is a young carer. Her mum, Kelly, has arthritis and fibromyalgia, meaning she struggles with mobility and will one day have to use a wheelchair to get around. This means Chloe has had to take on many tasks around the house which someone of her age would not normally be expected to do.

Life has got a lot better for her and her family since Family Action’s Young Carers Service became involved. Her mum has a carer who comes to the house to help out during the day which takes some of the pressure off Chloe. Whereas before Chloe felt that she could not open up about any problems, she has her very own support worker who she can talk to about any worries she may have in a safe environment.

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here