A young carer and young adult carer is someone aged 25 and under who cares for a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, cannot cope without their support. Older young carers are also known as young adult carers and they may have different support needs to younger carers.
What might a young carer or young adult carer do?
- Practical tasks, like cooking, housework and shopping
- Physical care, such as helping someone out of bed
- Emotional support, including talking to someone who is distressed
- Personal care, such as helping someone dress
- Managing the family budget and collecting prescriptions
- Helping to give medicine
- Helping someone communicate
- Looking after brothers and sisters
How we support young carers and young adult carers at CWA
As a young carer or young adult carer, you might find college a place where you can forget about your caring responsibilities and feel "normal" for a while. We also understand it can also be a place where you're under extra pressure or where people don't understand what your life is like outside college. It can sometimes be hard to juggle all your caring responsibilities with the demands of tutors, friends and homework.
At CWA we recognise the important role that young carers and young adult carers play in the health and wellbeing of the people they care for. Our college is committed to creating a supportive and inclusive environment that allows all young carers and young adult carers to achieve in their studies and reach their full potential.
For all young carers and young adult carers we will:
- Provide you with the opportunity to tell us about your caring role during the application process and throughout your course
- Offer you personalised support throughout the application process and your course to meet your individual needs
- Offer you information and advice about starting college, your first day and the support available to you, e.g. financial, pastoral, learning support
- Have a designated member of staff at each campus that raises awareness of young carers and young adult carers, listens to feedback and provides support
- Work closely with external support agencies to offer you specialist support
- Offer you a named student mentor to support you and your family throughout your course and help with any worries, concerns or challenges
- Raise awareness about the support available to you through our student welfare hub, website, visual displays and tutorial programme
- Encourage and collect your views about the support we offer
- Ensure that staff receive relevant training to help identify young carers and young adult carers and offer effective support
- Create an open and inclusive environment where you feel well supported and respected
Our Young Carers and Young Adult Carers Charter explains support available to students at CWA and our commitment to supporting carers.
To tell us about your caring responsibilities or to talk to us about support available contact our student mentors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Specialist support services for young carers and young adult carers
Caring Together is a leading charity supporting carers of all ages across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk. They provide information and advice, run services in your local communities and campaign so that carers have choices.
West Norfolk Carers work with families who are caring for somebody. They bring people together at support groups and offer support and advice and guidance, and we never judge. Most importantly, we are on your side. We will always do what’s best for young and adult carers.
Carers Trust is a major charity for, with and about carers. They work to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.
