St Michael’s supporting the needs of Young Carers and their Families

At St Michael’s Church of England High School, we want all our students to flourish and be able to achieve and this means we are committed to developing outstanding provision and support for young carers and their families. This has been recognised by our achieving a Bronze Young Carers in Schools Award. 

As a school we will demonstrate this commitment by widening our provision, building on the needs of the young people, and better meeting young carers’ needs by reviewing our provision for young carers with a view to ultimately achieving best practice.

What is a Young Carer?

A young carer is a child or young person under the age of 17 who is caring for one or more family members (e.g. parent, grandparent, sibling) who have:

• Long term physical illnesses
• A mental health condition
• Disabilities
• Substance misuse issues

Being a carer means looking after someone who could not cope without their support for anything from a couple of hours a week, to full-time.

Many young people don’t see themselves as carers and may not realise there is practical and emotional support available in school and in Sefton.

We recognise that young carers may need a little extra support to enjoy and do well at school. We are committed to ensuring that all students who are young carers are identified and supported effectively.

Who could be a young carer?

You may be a young carer if you…

• Care for a family member, because of illness, disability or old age
• Help someone with bathing or dressing, going to the toilet or getting into/out of bed
• Need to cook for your family
• Look after money or organise the family budget
• Help anyone to take medication regularly
• Collect prescriptions or benefits on behalf of someone else or go shopping for the family
• Look after brothers or sisters, by taking them to school, doing their laundry, or cooking their meals
• Take care of housework, such as dusting, hoovering, washing or ironing
• Speak on behalf of someone who has difficulty speaking or communicating for themselves
• Translate or interpret for someone at home

How your school can help our Young Carers:

• The whole school is committed to meeting the needs of young carers so that they can attend and enjoy school in the same way as other students to achieve their full potential.
• We have appointed a designated Young Carers’ School Lead (Mrs Andrews) with responsibility for young carers and their families.
• Students and families will be made aware of the identity of this lead and how to contact them to access support.
• The school only shares information with professionals and agencies on a need-to-know basis to support pupils and their families.
• We will actively seek feedback and ideas from young carers and their families to shape and improve support.
• The school has an effective referral system and strong partnership in place with relevant external agencies, including referral to Sefton Young Carers.
• We will strive to achieve best practice for students and families and be committed to developing provisions for young carers and their families.

If you think your child/ren are Young Carers and you feel we can support your, please complete this form.

https://forms.office.com/e/Ph2jqZS782

Students can access information in school via a noticeboard in the drama hall and by student services or by emailing Mrs Andrews, the Young Carers Lead.

There is also a Young Carers Lunch Club Drop-in for students on a Thursday in the bistro.

If you wish to make contact with the Young Carer Leads (Mrs Andrews) please email: Diane.andrews@ldst.org.uk or call on 0151 924 6778

Our Young Carers Lead is Mrs Andrews (based in Safeguarding Office).

The Young Carers SLT link is Ms Trebble.