Young Carers Service Shropshire
Supporting the Young Carers of Shropshire
Life as a young carer can be challenging. If you are between 5 and 18 years old and help look after someone at home who is ill, or has a mental or physical disability, we are here to help you.
What might a young carer do?
- Practical tasks, such as cooking, housework, shopping and family budgeting
- Emotional support, such as talking to someone who is distressed
- Personal care, such as helping someone out of bed with a hoist and to help them to dress
- Helping with siblings
- Helping to give medicine, collecting prescriptions
How a caring role can affect a young carer:
- Emotionally – putting others first, being worried anxious or stressed
- Physically – Suffering strains from heavy lifting, not looking after their own health
- Socially – Not able to meet up with friends
- Educationally – Difficulties concentrating in class, feeling tired, worried, no time for homework
Watch Poppy’s Story to give you a real insight into what life can be like for a young carer
How Crossroads Together can help:
Groups for young carers
Fun, relaxed and varied group activities where you can hang out with other people your age in an easy going and supportive setting.
- Monthly groups sessions
Whitchurch group in Tilstock – All ages
Shrewsbury Junior group – 0 – 11 years
Shrewsbury Senior group – 11 to 17 years
Oswestry group – All ages
Bridgnorth group – All ages
Ludlow group – All ages
- Time away from caring responsibilities
- Meet other young carers
- Online Zoom groups when we can’t meet face to face
- Someone to listen and a place to talk
Summer and School Half term
- Day trips for each age group, to be decided by the group
- Focus activities such a young leaders, creative workshops and First Aid
Young Carers Forum
- Have your voice hear by the people who can make change happen
- Take part in surveys and consultations
- Represent young cares voice and meet with council officials and commissioners
One to one support
- Information and funding advice
- Help with dealing with how you are feeling
- A chance to offload
- Support and advocacy
We also ensure young carers have lots of fun!
Young Carers in Schools
YCiS is a free initiative that makes it as easy as possible for schools to support young carers, and awards good practice.
Run jointly by Carers Trust and The Children’s Society, the Young Carers in Schools (YCiS) programme works with schools across England to share good practice, provide relevant tools and training, and to celebrate the great outcomes that many schools achieve for young carers.
At Crossroads Together, we have a dedicated YCiS project worker who works in partnership with schools across Shropshire to support them to achieve their award.
If you ‘d like to find out more YCiS, please click here.
The Crossroads Together young carers schools project worker is funded by the Shropshire Freemasons.
Get In Touch
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How to make a referral
Carers can self-refer or referrals are made via statutory, voluntary and community sector organisations. Please email the team at shropshire.carers@shropshire.gov.uk or call 01743 341995
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Contact Shropshire Young Carers
Posters, leaflets and more information
Click the box below to take you through to posters and leaflets that you can download.
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Young Carers - Posters & Leaflets
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Young Carers - Information to Download
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Young Carers In Schools Award
Arrange a call back...
This young carers service offers support to young carers in Shropshire. This service is funded by:
Young carers
“Thank you for supporting young carers. It really helps as it makes a HUGE difference; if young carers weren’t here I would feel like the odd one out for EVER. And I wouldn’t have made so many new friends”
“I have never had a day like this. BEST DAY EVER”
“We have been very impressed by what is on offer to Ellie. She seems to be very content knowing that help is there if she needs it, and is very proud to be recognised as a young carer”