At The Regis School we acknowledge, recognise and value the caring responsibilities that pupils in our community have. As a school, we strive to raise the awareness of these young carers amongst staff and pupils, to provide effective support for our young carers and remove any barriers which could potentially inhibit their academic, social and personal development.
We want young carers in our school to feel seen, feel heard and feel supported. Through working with the West Sussex Young Carers Family Service https://schools.westsussex.gov.uk/Services/7049 and MYTIME’s Level Up Academy https://www.mytimeyoungcarers.org/ we hope to improve the support in place for young carers which in the long-term, will have a positive impact on young carer’s academic performance, attendance and aspirations.
By following the guidance and strategies from the West Sussex Young Carers Family Service and MYTIME Young Carers, The Regis School will ensure that all stakeholders have a greater understanding of who young carers are, the challenges they face and how they will be supported.
Who is a Young Carer?
The Regis School’s definition of a young carer is a child, under the age of 18, who is either the main carer, shares a caring responsibility for, or whose day-to-day life is impacted by someone in their home. Our definition also includes young adult carers (18 to 25 years old) who may be members of our sixth form.
Young carers help to look after someone in their home or another family member. This could be a sibling, parent, both parents or a grandparent who has a disability, illness, mental health condition or who misuses substances. Young carers often undertake practical and/or emotional carrying responsibilities that would normally be expected of an adult. These may include:-