Young Carer Legal Definition

Young carers are children under 18 with caring responsibilities and their rights to be assessed come mostly from the children act 1989 and the children and families act 2014.

Young carer legal definition. If you are aged 16 25 and have a caring responsibility you are considered to be a young adult carer. The care they give is unpaid. The social worker must also look at your education training leisure opportunities and views about your future. Appendices january 2017 ref.

Any difference of opinion between the young carer the young carer s parents and the person cared for with respect to the care which the young carer provides or intends to provide. Isbn 978 1 78105 700 1 dfe rr637 pdf 1 38mb 104 pages the lives of young carers in england. The young carers age understanding and family circumstances. The lives of young carers in england omnibus.

When we refer to carers in this document this is inclusive of both adult and young carers. Organisations set up to help young carers recognise all of these problems and have people and strategies to support you. Young carers and their families an effective service able to respond to the needs of a young carer the person cared for and others in the family. The legal powers you may need as a carer can change over time depending on whether the condition of the person improves or gets worse.

Unless you are or were married you cannot enter a legally binding contract until you are aged 18 except for certain contracts such as for apprenticeships or for necessities like food. If there is an adult being looked after. The wishes feelings and preferences of the young carer. Young carers miss an average of 48 days of school because of their role and 68 have been bullied at some point directly because of having to care for someone.

A young carer s assessment can determine whether it s appropriate for you to care for someone else and takes into account whether you want to be a carer. Many carers don t see themselves as carers and it takes them an average of two years to acknowledge their role as a carer nhs website. In ireland under the child care act 1991 the children act 2001 and the united nations convention on the rights of the child a child is defined as anyone under the age of 18.