Nottinghamshire’s youth service is young carer friendly

Carers Week is a national campaign that raises awareness of unpaid carers and the important work they do. This year’s theme, Building Carer Friendly Communities, focuses on helping more people understand and support carers.

The youth service received a Young Carer Friendly Quality Mark, for the second year running, for its work to support young carers across the county. All full-time staff have completed training to help them spot young carers and understand how to support them. Information is also shared so that young people know where they can get help.

The service works closely with Nottinghamshire Carers Association and the Young Carers Notts Service. New staff are trained when they join, and two team champions help make sure support for young carers keeps improving.

Many young people who use youth services have caring responsibilities. Supporting them and making sure they feel included is a key priority. The council currently runs eight young carer groups in young people centres and two more will be added this year.

Councillor Rory Green, Nottinghamshire County Council’s cabinet member for Children and Families, said: “I’m really pleased that, once again, our youth service has been recognised as young carer friendly. Young carers in Nottinghamshire do an amazing job supporting their families, and we’ve made it a priority in our Nottinghamshire Plan to support these phenomenal young people. We are continuing to try to understand their reality, so that we can support them better. In recent months, I have become a Carers’ Champion, and conducted many of my councillor colleagues to successfully attend the, ‘NCA Young Carer Awareness Training,’ to support and identify young carers in their local patches.

“We want to make sure they get the support and chances they need. Our carers’ champions help staff learn how to support young carers and make sure they can access the help available. Our youth service offers vital support for young people and adding in specific support for young carers is fantastic.”

Becca Robbins, Service Manager, Young Carers Notts, said: “Young carers can be the unspoken and hidden carer, either not identifying themselves as having a caring role, or being worried about doing so.

“Having professionals aware of what a young carer is and how they can best guide and support them is essential in showing a young person that they are listened to, that they don’t have to be alone.

“We are so thankful for the Nottinghamshire Youth Service for gaining its young carer friendly award – it means that another team of adults who come into contact with young people will be ready to ask the right questions, will be able to spot when a young carer may need help and support them.”

This award shows the council’s ongoing commitment to making Nottinghamshire a place where young carers are understood, supported and included.