Carers

Being a young carer

You're a young carer if you're under 18 and help to look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem.

If you're a young carer, you probably look after one of your parents or care for a brother or sister.

You may do extra jobs in and around the home, such as cooking, cleaning, or helping someone get dressed and move around.

You may also give a lot of physical help to a parent, brother, or sister who's disabled or ill.

Along with doing things to help your brother or sister, you may be giving them and your parents emotional support, too.

Being an adult carer

A carer is someone, who provides help and support to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who could not manage without their help. This could be due to age, physical or mental illness, disability, or addiction. A carer may be an adult, a child, or a young person.

A parent carer is a parent of a disabled child providing substantial and regular care beyond what is usually expected for a similarly aged child. When a disabled young person reaches age 19, the parent carer does not stop being a parent, but in legal and policy terms is considered to be the carer of an adult.

Carers will be of all ages and situations; many balance their caring role with work, training, and childcare; many care for someone who does not live in the same house and may travel some distance.

Becoming a carer

If you are looking to become a carer or to support a relative, friend or neighbour, then their GP needs to know so you can be offered the right information.

Our surgery has to collect information for the Government about the numbers of carers attached to the surgery, so your information will help us to do this.

Please complete the form below to register yourself as a carer.

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