Shwmae, and welcome back to this week’s blog. As this week is Carers Week we would like to dedicate our blog to the unpaid carers in our school and surrounding community. Below you can see some of the amazing work our Young Carers Project has done, find out how you can get support and watch a video made by two of our very own young carers.
A young carer is someone under the age of 25 who helps to look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. This is likely to be a parent, sibling or grandparent.
A young carer will help around the home, cooking, cleaning or support someone else with every day activities such as getting dressed, personal care and moving around.
As many as 1 in 5 people are considered a young carer. These young people are working a second shift in addition to their school work. Being a young carer affects both their health and their futures. Young carers are twice as likely as other young people to report mental health conditions. 27% of young carers reported that their home duties caused problems at school and half say caring has a negative impact on their school work. In an effort to raise awareness and provide vital support Milford Haven School launched the Young Carers Project in 2019.
The Young Carers Project was launched in a bid to support the growing numbers of young carers in Milford Haven School and the surrounding community. The YCP is run by our Carer Leads and provides our young carers with the chance to take a break from their caring duties by following a schedule of events as well as vital support.
The Young Carers Project is a breath of fresh air for me. I have made friends with other young carers, I know who I can talk to in school for help and I have done fun and exciting things that I wouldn’t normally get the chance to do.
We know that young carers may need a little extra support to enjoy and do well at school. At Milford Haven School we are committed to ensuring that all pupils who are young carers are identified, and supported effectively.
We can offer additional pastoral support, small group workshops and access to opportunities outside of school. We can link up to outside agencies to offer our pupils more support both within school and outside of school.
At Milford Haven School, our Assistant Head teacher together with Mrs Griffiths have responsibility for ensuring all young carers are able to enjoy school and make good progress. If you think your child might be a young carer, or could be affected by any of the issues we’ve highlighted, please let us know by speaking to Mrs Griffiths please contact school on 01646 690021
Please be assured that any information shared will be treated sensitively and confidentially. No information will be shared outside our school without your knowledge.
On behalf of pupils and staff I would like to say diolch yn fawr to everyone involved in our Young Carers Programme. The team of staff who are behind this programme work tirelessly to ensure our young carers at MHS feel safe and supported. We couldn’t be prouder of our young people and the inspiring ways in which they thrive under exceptional circumstances.
