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Welcome to our new e-bulletin! |
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June 8th to the 14th is Carers Week 2020 - a perfect time to launch our new Young Carers newsletter! We hope this bumper-packed first addition is filled with interesting and helpful information.
We want this newsletter to be valuable to you, so please share your feedback and suggestions to help us improve.
Being a carer can mean lots of different things - for young people caring for a member of their family could make them a young carer. Young carers are people under 18 years old who look after a family member who has a disability, illness, or is affected by drug and alcohol use. Caring can include cooking, cleaning, helping with bills or providing emotional support.
Young carers are amazing - if you know one (or are one!) lots of support is available at Manchester Young Carers.
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Carers Week 8-14th June 2020 – Making Carers Visible |
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We know that for many young carers, seeking help can be difficult and often young carers are hidden from view and are not receiving the support they deserve and need.
There are lots of reasons for this: sometimes young carers don’t recognise that they are carers and might see their caring as just something they do; for others there is a real worry about what would happen if they told someone that they are caring; and for many they worry people just won’t understand their role.
“One of the biggest things we as young carers face, is that no one understand what we do in our caring roles” (A Manchester Young Carer)
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Everyone has a part to play in making sure carers are seen, heard, and understood; and helping them to get the support they need to care. During Carers Week there are opportunities to raise the profile of caring within communities, in the workplace and in the media.
- Visit Carers Week to find out how you can get involved and together let’s make carers visible!
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Covid-19 Information for Young Carers |
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We know the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak may be particularly worrying for young carers, they may be worried about:
▪︎ finances
▪︎ shopping
▪︎ medication
♡ shielding their loved ones! |
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With so much information out there, looking for advice and support can feel overwhelming! To help our young carers, and the practitioners supporting them, we have pulled together some Covid-19 help & support information and guides which we hope you will find useful.
Here at Manchester City Council we have set up a Community Response Hub to support everyone to cope with the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. We want our young carers to know – you are not alone and help is here if you need it!
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The lockdown low down - a self-help guide for coping with Covid -19
Vinny, a young carer from Parrs Wood High School, has created a guide he wants to share with other young people - find Vinny's guide here! Stay safe!
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Creative Care kits
Thanks to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, we have a share of 200 Creative Care kits and have distributed them to Young Carers and Young Adult Carers in Manchester.
Each kit contains 36 pages of activities, hints and tips on protecting your mental well being and a set of art materials. As well as giving young people something to do, the kits will help create a sense of connection at a time when they are not able to rely on face-to-face interactions.
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Local Emergency Fund For Carers
A fund of £200,000 is being made available to unpaid carers in Manchester who need additional support as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Young carers aged 16+ are one of the groups entitled to support from this fund.
It can be used for a range of purposes including transport costs (such as taxis) or fuel; furniture; emergency delivery of food; and one-off practical costs to help with the caring role at this time.
- Visit the MCC website for more information and details of how to apply.
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Manchester Carers Centre
Manchester Carers Centre run a Young Adult Carers service for young people in Manchester aged 16-25 with caring responsibilities for a family member who may have a disability, physical or mental health condition or addiction.
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The service offers one to one mentoring sessions and social and respite group opportunities. The service aims to support Young Adult Carers to ensure they are caring safely and are supported; to promote their health and well-being; and help them think about their future and access education, employment and training opportunities. All activity during COVID-19 is via telephone or online services; face to face contact will resume when it is safe to do so.
Please contact 0161 272 7270 or admin@manchestercarers.org.uk if you would like to refer a young adult carer, or if you are an young adult carer.
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Opportunities for young carers |
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Discount Card for Young Carers
Did you know that here at Manchester City Council we have a Participation Register for young carers? By signing up you'll be entitled to a Vectis Discount Card. You'll be able to get discounts on top brands and independent stores and services. Once you've registered, we'll post your card out to you.
- Find out how to apply at HSM
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Join the NHS England Young Carer Health Champion programme in April 2021
Are you a young carer aged 16-24?
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The Young Carers Health Champion programme was established in 2015 to support improved health literacy, promote health and well-being and develop the capacity of young carers to participate in the planning and development of young carer friendly services. It aims to support service change through young carer voices.
If you are a young carer aged 16-24 and want to be considered for this programme, please email Paula.Cruise@nhs.net with your name, age and Young Carer Organisation Support Worker contact details; or call Paula on 07800 171820 if you have any questions.
Closing date for applications is 8th January 2021. Confirmation of acceptance on the programme will be sent the following week.
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Carers Trust - Young Carers and Young Adult Carers survey about coronavirus
Calling all young carers and young adult carers! The Carers Trust need your help to influence decision makers like the government.
Please take their short survey at at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/covid19 so they can better understand your needs, the impact of Coronavirus on your life and what support you need
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The Horsfall/ 42nd Street Manchester
The Horsfall is a venue which is part of 42nd Street. It’s a gallery and space for creative engagement .
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The Horsefall are running daily online activities to help young people feel connected and they would love young carers to join in their daily art challenges and summer art competition.
They also have a new and exciting Young Carers Photography Project - the aim is to collect images from young carers across Manchester for an exhibition of their work at the Horsfall gallery - find out how to apply!
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Young Carers Awareness Day 2020
On the 31st of January 2020 we held a Young Carers Awareness event at UKFast here in Manchester to mark National Young Carers Awareness day and celebrate our Young Carers! An amazing 90 young carers attended the event, along with over 100 professionals from Health, Social Care, Early Help, Education and the Third / Voluntary sector.
The event was co-produced and delivered by a number of Manchester Young Carer and Young Adult Carer Groups, who through a series of letters gave us a glimpse into the lives of young carers and importantly explained how together, we can make a difference and better support them!
The feedback from this event was overwhelmingly positive and many professionals pledged to do more to identify and support young carers. Young carers need and deserve our help now more than ever, so please show your support and take the time to read their letters to you here on HSM.
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Anthony is a Young Adult Carer, student and talented actor. Many of you might remember him from our January event?
He has a very special message for other young carers during Carers week - you can view Anthony's message @MCRYoungCarers
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Our partners at Early Help play a very important role in supporting young carers and their families to get the help they deserve and need.
Angela Platt, Locality Manager at the South Early Help Hub has an important message for our young carers - you can view Angela's message @earlyhelpmcr
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Stuck for something to do while being at home? Why not visit All Sorts to Do at Home for the latest news and activities near you!
If you know, or are, a young carer and want to know what support is available or find ideas of things to do, during Covid-19 and beyond, then visit HSM.
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These pages contain lots of activities you can get involved in, as well as information about the support available to you at school and in the community. Information about your right to support can also be accessed here on HSM. |
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Hideout Youth Zone for young people aged 8 to 19 (up to 25 for young people with additional needs)
Hideout can provide telephone or online support Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, to help tackle loneliness and isolation. They are also running online activities on all social media platforms
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Find out more at:
Hideout would like to work with young carers in Abbey Hey, Ardwick, Beswick, Gorton, Levenshulme and Longsight. They also welcome enquiries from practitioners regarding young carers outside of these catchment areas.
Parent / carer or practitioner referral is required. Young carers will need to sign up to become a member of Hideout, which will be free of charge.
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The Honey Pot Young Carers Charity
The Hive at Honeypot is the online home for Honeypot children where you’ll find lots of interesting things to do, things to watch and listen to; and also some signposts to extra support if you need it.
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The Hive is updated every week, so there will always be something new to see when you come back.
- If you do something you’d like to share, ask your parents or carer to help you to send a photo or a scan of your creation to bumble@honeypot.org.uk
They will always reply and will show some of your work in The Hive every week.
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Information and resources for Professionals |
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Young carers need us now more than ever, if you work with young people, then it is very likely that you work with young carers too!
We’re all responsible for ensuring young carers in Manchester are providing a level of care that is appropriate; know what their rights are; and are not spending so much time caring for someone else that it impacts on their school work, having time to relax or seeing their mates.
Here you will find lots of helpful information, pathways to support, tools and resources and our refreshed Young Carers Strategy 2020/23.
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