Support for Young Carers

Carers Bucks supports unpaid carers and young carers in Buckinghamshire. They provide:

• information and advice
• life skills sessions
• social activities and a chance to meet other young and young adult carers across the county

Their website has a wide range of resources available to carers of all ages, including ways to look after your wellbeing.

You can contact them by phone, email, or online form.

Care Advice Buckinghamshire provides information and advice on care and support services in Buckinghamshire.

You can find information on topics such as health and wellbeing, education and training, money and benefits, and carers’ rights.

You can also search for local services and organisations that can help you with your caring role.

Buckinghamshire Family Information Service provides information, support, childcare, and things to do for families, children and young people up to 19 years (25 years with a disability/additional need).

You can access information on a range of topics relating to family life, including the Local Offer for SEND.

You can also search for activities and organisations near you on their Family Services Directory.

Action for Children helps young carers come to terms with their parents or other family member’s illness or condition. They teach you how to cope and guide you to build positive relationships outside the family.

The NHS offers guidance and help for young carers.

MYTIME Young Carers is a UK-based charity that exists to support young carers aged between 5 and 25.

Young Carers Bucks runs regular youth clubs for young carers aged 5 to 16 in different locations across Buckinghamshire. These are safe and fun spaces where you can meet other young carers, enjoy activities, and get support from staff and volunteers.

You can find out more about the youth clubs and how to join them on their website.

Young Adult Carers Bucks is a support service for young carers aged between 16 to 25. They run a range of activities throughout the year.

Buckingham and Winslow Young Carers Youth Club provides a programme of events for young carers in the Buckingham and Winslow area aged between 7 and 18 years, to meet together to learn new skills, share experiences, develop social skills, encourage confidence and boost their self-esteem away from the caring environment.

Action4Youth is a charity that provides positive, often transformational experiences and activities for young people in Buckinghamshire.

They run various programmes and clubs, such as the National Citizen Service (NCS), the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and the Youth Action Programme.

They also have a network of affiliated youth clubs across the county, where you can socialise, learn new skills, and have fun.

On the family information service directory, you can find a range of clubs and activities for young people.

You can also search the directory for activities such as sports and fitness, dance and drama and more.

Moving school, especially from Year 6 to Year 7, can be an exciting and daunting time for young carers and their families.

There are things you can do to cope and help you feel positive.

See our post-16 education and training options available once you finish your GCSEs, A Levels, T Levels and VTQ.

This includes information on apprenticeships, internships, traineeships, sixth-form schools and colleges, and university.

Buckinghamshire Adult Learning offers a broad programme of over 1,500 part-time courses and workshops, delivered online and from 140 locations across Buckinghamshire.

You can choose from a variety of subjects, such as art, crafts, languages, health and fitness, business, technology, and more. You can also find courses that can help you improve your English and maths skills or prepare for GCSE exams. You can browse the courses and enrol online on their website.

Buckinghamshire College Group provides professional and part-time courses for adults aged 19 and over.

You can study courses that can help you in your career, such as accounting, counselling, construction, plumbing, and electrical installations. You can also find courses that can help you develop your hobbies and interests, such as ceramics, painting, and knitting. You can view the courses and apply online on their website.

The Central Training courses will help you to gain employability skills to a standard that allows you to effectively function in a workplace, train in a vocational area of your choice, learn personal development skills to help you in everyday life and access a real-life work experience placement.

Skill Up Bucks is an employability programme creating opportunities for young people aged 17 plus to meet and interact with employers across Buckinghamshire. The programme is funded by the European Social Fund and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Skill Up Bucks aligns educational institutions and local employers to provide work experience opportunities for anyone living in the county, developing both the available skills pool for local employers and opportunities for young people.

Buckinghamshire Skills Hub is a website that connects young people in Buckinghamshire with local employers, training providers, and career opportunities.

You can explore different sectors and occupations, find out about apprenticeships and work experience, and access online tools and resources to help you with your career planning and employability skills.

Routes to Work is the brand name for all Oasis employment, training, and education support services, including the Building Futures Contract, internal and external training opportunities, and support from our dedicated project workers.

The Routes to Work team delivers high-quality tailored employability programmes that equip people with the support they need for a path to sustainable employment. A range of opportunities are available following an initial assessment, which includes a goal-setting action plan.

If you are struggling with your mental health, there's plenty of help out there to support you. Our information page includes details on:

• face-to-face support
• support online or over the phone
• looking after your wellbeing

Our courses and youth drop-ins offer help and support for young people at different locations across Buckinghamshire.

Young Minds offers mental health tips for young people who are carers, with advice on how to spot if it is getting too much for you, and who can help.

Anna Freud Mentally Healthy Schools, advise that It is important that all staff members are aware of students with caring roles so that a whole-school approach to support and understanding is used.

The Children's Society has mental health information and activities to help young people understand more about what they may be experiencing.

Carer’s Allowance is a benefit for people who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who receives certain disability benefits.

Carer’s Credit is a benefit that helps you build up your National Insurance contributions if you are caring for someone for at least 20 hours a week and not working or claiming certain benefits. This can help you qualify for the State Pension and other benefits in the future.

You can claim Carer’s Credit if you are 16 or over, under State Pension age, and the person you care for receives certain disability benefits.

You can apply online or by post, and you need to fill in a care certificate every year.

Grants to support you as a young carer. As a young carer, you may worry about how your family will manage financially. Or you might think that your life, or the life of the person you care for, would be improved if you were able to afford additional items or experiences. These could include an adaptation to your home to allow the person you care for to get around more safely or a break for you to escape from the stresses of day-to-day life and just feel young and carefree. This is where grants can help.