Who are young carers?

Young Carers are individuals under 18 years old who provide care and support to a family member, based upon medical or various other needs. Research conducted by the BBC in 2010 suggested that there could be as many as 700,000 young carers across the UK, some as young as five years old. With the responsibility   of caring for a family member, young carers can sometimes struggle with juggling these                          additional responsibilities alongside their education.

At Poole High School, we believe that every child has the right to an education and deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of their family circumstances.

Poole High School is fully committed to supporting young carers with their unique responsibilities and/or challenges, without judgement or unwanted interference.

Our mission

Our mission is to provide a supportive and empathetic environment in which young people are completely supported in order to reach their full potential, regardless of their family circumstances.

What we do

We recognise and support our young carers, assisting them with any challenges they may face because of their young carer status. We have adopted our Young Carers policy to support these pupils, without judgement or unwanted interference. We do this by…

  • Liaising with feeder schools to aid a smooth transition for young Carers
  • Identifying young Carers as soon as possible when they join Poole High School.
  • Having a designated member of staff for young Carers.
  • Offering group support/ meetings, as well as one-to-one sessions with named contact.
  • Continually recognizing and offering support to new young Carers throughout the school year.
  • Ensuring the individual needs and circumstances of our young Carers are understood by all school staff.
  • Respecting the privacy of our young carers.
  • Liaising with appropriate outside agencies.

Our aim

By identifying, understanding and supporting the needs of young carers, we aim to ensure that every child has the same opportunities, regardless of their family circumstances.

 

If you believe, your child has a young carer’s role email youngcarers@poolehigh.poole.sch.uk

Named Contact for Y/C in PHS:   Mrs L Garner-Watts

 

More information

  • For more information on the support available to young carers and their families in Poole, click here.
  • MYTIME Young Carers is a charity whose aim is to level the playing field for Young Carers by providing them with the support, opportunities and friendship that every child needs and deserves. The children and young adults they help range from ages 5-25. For more information or to register https://www.mytimeyoungcarers.org/
  • For more information on Young Carers, visit the Children’s Society website here.
  • You can also visit the young carers section of the Carers Trust website here.