Young Carers
We are proud to be a Young Carers school.
Young Carers are children aged 18 years and younger, whose life is restricted in some way because they look after someone else on a regular basis. This could be a family member or friend who has a physical or mental health condition.
Young Carers provide a wide range of care, which could include:
- Practical Care (e.g. Washing, cooking, cleaning)
- Personal Care (e.g. Bathing, dressing, feeding)
- Emotional Care (e.g. Listening, talking, advising)
- Childcare (e.g. Looking after younger siblings, taking them to school)
- Communication (e.g. Medical appointments, organising finances and bills)
Appreciating the role Young Carers play in offering valuable help to their families and friends, St John Payne Catholic School want to ensure that our Young Carers are supported the best way possible and understand that we can play a major part in ensuring they feel loved and cared for.
Our first steps are to raise awareness with staff, students and parents so that more Young Carers can be identified and directed towards appropriate support where necessary. Much of this support is available in school. Further, personalised support can be accessed by referring students to the Essex Young Carers Service (part of Essex County Council – See links below).
The Young Carers programme is being led by Mr Folkerd (Assistant Headteacher) and Mrs Cooper (Assistant Sendco and Learning Support Lead).
Young Carers Leads contact details:
Mr R Folkerd
rfo@sjp.essex.sch.uk
Mrs C Cooper
cco@sjp.essex.sch.uk
It is useful for the school to be aware if a student is a Young Carer, so we can offer appropriate support. If your child is a Young Carer and you would like the school to know this, please contact either the Form Tutor, Head of Year or the Young Carers Leads.
Some useful links:
https://youth.essex.gov.uk/young-people/young-carers/
https://www.essex.gov.uk/adult-social-care-and-health/support-carers/young-carers
https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/our-work-and-impact/children-and-families/young-carers/
