Do you look after your mum, dad, brother, sister or other relative because they are ill or have a disability?

Do you sometimes worry about them?

Do you ever feel alone?

Are you struggling a bit at school?

Do you feel like no one really understands?

If you are aged between 5 and 17 years of age and looking after someone in your family who couldn’t manage without you, then you are one of the 4,000 or more young carers that we estimate live in Sefton.

Help is available

If you would like to talk to someone please contact a member of the Sefton Young Carers team on 0151 288 6060.

Here are some of the ways we can support you:

• We will listen to you
• Provide you with one to one support
• Develop a personal support plan for you
• Invite you to a weekly activity group and fun outings with other carers
• Provide you with advice and information
• Signpost you to other services
• Support your mental health, and arrange counselling if appropriate
• We may invite you to join us on one of our residential trips
• We will improve your access to services
• With your permission, we will talk to your school, college, doctor or to your social worker to arrange additional support.
• We will support you as you move through school, to college, to university, or to employment or training.

In other words, our service will do whatever it can to support you and your family for as long as you need that support.

If you contact us

We will arrange a time/place to meet up with you to discuss your needs and wishes. You are in control, and everything you share with us will be confidential (unless we believe you are at risk of harm). We will work with you to design a support plan to help you.

Maybe you are a young adult carer?

If you are a young adult carer, aged between 16 – 24 years? We can also help you.

We realise that for young carers the transition from childhood to adulthood can be much more difficult than for young people without a caring role at home. If you feel that you are you missing out on college, training or employment, call us, we are here to help - 0151 288 6060