At times young carers can feel overwhelmed trying to cope with their caring responsibilities along with all the other stresses of school and family life. Our mentors support young carers through these difficult times, to help them move on emotionally, socially and educationally
Mentoring takes place in the young carer’s School, Family Hub or Carers Resource Offices.
Our mentoring support takes place in the young carer’s school or family hub, once every fortnight, for 6 to 12 weeks, providing a safe, consistent, and trusted space where young carers can feel listened to, understood, and supported.
We understand that young carers may have experienced stress, anxiety, uncertainty, or difficult experiences linked to their caring role. Our mentoring approach is trauma-informed, meaning we focus on building trusting relationships, creating emotional safety, and working at the young person’s pace.
The mentor will:
- Build a positive and trusting relationship with the young carer
- Provide a safe space where they can talk openly about any worries or challenges
- Listen without judgement and value the young carer’s feelings, experiences, opinions, and beliefs
- Help the young carer recognise their strengths and build confidence and self-esteem
- Support emotional wellbeing and help young carers develop healthy coping strategies
- Encourage the young carer to think about their hopes, ambitions, and future goals
- Work alongside schools and families, where appropriate, to support attendance, punctuality, and engagement in education
- Develop an individual action plan with the young carer, focused on their needs, strengths, and personal goals.
Our mentoring aims to help young carers feel empowered, resilient, and more able to manage the challenges they face, while knowing they have someone who will listen, support, and advocate for them.
