How to Make a Young Carer Referral

Northamptonshire Young Carers Service supports children and young people between the ages of 5 and 17 who are providing necessary care to a family member who has a long-term illness or disability.

It is important to distinguish between a young person who is providing necessary care and a young person who is affected by someone in their family having a long-term illness or disability. By necessary care we mean activities that will not get completed unless the young person does them on a regular basis, for example: cleaning living areas; doing the washing; cooking; personal care; etc.  We do have to be mindful about inappropriate caring roles: if a young person was responsible for providing regular personal care then this may be deemed as inappropriate and other services would need to be sought to provide this care.  We also have to be mindful of caring activities that are beyond the expectation of a young person's age and ability.

If you feel a young person is, or may be, in a caring role, they are entitled to a needs assessment.  Support is very much based on assessment and need, which can change over a period of time so reviews can be carried out.

We do operate a waiting list so please complete the referral form as fully as possible to ensure we have all information to prioritise the children and young people.

• We can provide awareness raising sessions for local services. Please contact us if you would like us to attend a team meeting or provide support with resources/materials for Assemblies.
• Please see how else you can support us

If you are unsure of eligibility please read our guidelines for referrers or contact us.