Support for young carers

Reading SEND Local Offer

If you are between 5 and 18 years and you spend a lot more time looking after a family member or carrying out household chores than other children/young people your age because a parent, brother, sister, grandparent or other relative is ill, disabled, has a mental illness, a learning disability or a problem with drugs or alcohol, then you are a young carer.

Click here for further information, including:

  • Young carers assessment

Additional support available

No. 5 Counselling Service

Your extra responsibilities may include..
  • Extra household chores like cleaning, cooking, shopping or laundry
  • Organising appointments or helping with medication
  • Looking after brothers and sisters or helping them with homework
  • Helping someone in your family with washing, dressing, getting in and out of bed because they can’t manage on their own
  • Supporting a relative after they have been drinking or using drugs
  • Supporting a relative when their mood is low
  • Looking after and/or playing with a sibling who has special needs to keep them calm.
Why you may need support..

Your extra responsibilities may:

  • cause you to fall behind with school work because you can’t attend, don’t get time to do your homework or you are too tired to concentrate
  • make it difficult for you to take part in after-school activities, play or meet with friends outside school or get time to yourself

You and your family may be eligible for support from social services - call the Children's Single Point of Access 0118 937 3641 to ask for a Young Carers Assessment.

What is a young carers assessment?

This involves talking to you, your parents (and anyone else you want to be involved) to understand your situation.

Your assessment will:

  • look at the impact your responsibilities have on your education, training and leisure opportunities
  • decide whether it is appropriate for you to continue providing this care
  • ask you if you want to carry on caring and, if so, how much support you are willing and able to provide
  • identify other services to support your family.

Contact the Children's Single Point of Access on 0118 937 3641 for details.

Youth clubs for young carers

To find out more about Young carers groups, Brighter Futures for Children website  - https://brighterfuturesforchildren.org/young-peoples-zone/young-carers/ 

This is a targeted referral service. Email cspoa@brighterfuturesforchildren.org or call 0118 937 3641 (Office hours only) for more details

Some of the organisations that offer support.

No. 5 Counselling Service

Counselling offers a safe place to talk about the difficulties in your life. Counsellors are specially trained to listen and help you make sense of your thoughts, feelings and behaviour. They won’t judge you or tell you what to do.

No. 5 offers a free, confidential service for young people aged 10 to 25 who live or work in the Greater Reading area.

Call 0118 901 5668 to make an appointment.

For other enquires call 0118 901 5649 or email admin@no5.org.uk

Reading Youth

For information about events, activities and organisations for young people in Reading visit www.brighterfuturesforchildren.org/young-peoples-zone/

Young Carers - Brighter Futures for Children

More information on the BFfC website

If you would like to find out more about the support available to Young Carers from Brighter Futures for Children and how to access it, please visit - https://brighterfuturesforchildren.org/young-peoples-zone/young-carers/

Page last reviewed: 19/02/2024

Contact the Team

Family Information Service

fis@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2

SEND Local Offer

localoffer@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2

Adult & Carers Support

CSAAdvice.Signposting@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3747 0118 937 3747
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