Know Your Rights
Two laws regarding young carers were introduced in 2014 and they are summarised below:
The Children and Families Act 2014 states that local authorities must try to identify young carers within their area. When they have been identified, the local authority must assess if the young carers need support, and if so, what those needs are.
The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to adopt a whole family approach. This means that when someone is receiving care, the local authority must look at the impact on everyone else in the house, including children.
The various laws can seem complicated and some young carers may struggle to understand all their rights. If you would like advice you can speak to the organisations listed on the webpage ‘Getting Support’.
Inappropriate Tasks for Young Carers
The law states that young carers should not perform some tasks that are performed by adult carers. It also states that young carers should not spend too much time caring for someone else because this can affect how they do at school, and whether or not they are able to do similar activities to other children or young people. Examples of inappropriate tasks include:
- Personal care such as bathing and toileting.
- Difficult physical tasks such as lifting.
- Giving medication.
- Managing family finances.
- Offering emotional support to such a degree that the child in having to act like the parent.