Young Carers
Whole School Commitment
We define a Young Carer as a young person who has caring responsibilities for a family member with a disability, health condition or substance misuse issue.
The nature of the tasks and responsibilities associated can vary from each individual, but these tasks usually relate to practical and/or emotional based support that would normally be expected of an adult.
These can include:
- Shopping, cooking and cleaning
- Managing medicines or money
- Providing personal care
- Helping to get people out of the house
- Generally monitoring an individuals’ wellbeing
- Providing emotional support
At Gildredge House, we are fully committed to ensuring that our Young Carers can attend school and be afforded the same opportunities for success as other students who do not have these responsibilities. We take a collaborative approach to this support, working with our Young Carers and their families regarding their caring circumstances and the support associated.
We look to provide a variety of avenues to support our Young Carers at Gildredge House. Our students receive pastoral support from their Heads of Year and Assistant Heads of Year, who will work closely with the student and their families to ensure any barriers to education are known and overcome. To help with relationship-building for those that may need this, we offer a variety of social skills and emotional support-based interventions.
We recognise that we are a vital component in supporting Young Carers and will work with East Sussex Young Carers when required, to ensure students and families get the support they need.
We raise awareness about Young Carers and equip our staff to look out for those who may need support. We also ensure students are part of this education and use Tutor Time programmes and personal development lessons to educate students about Young Carers.
We encourage student engagement at Gildredge House and look to include our Young Carers in the formulation of the vision and values of the school. We are in the process of appointing Young Carers Student Champions and have Young Carers Champions on the Senior Leadership Team.
Our Young Carers are an integral part of Gildredge House and we feel passionate about ensuring they are fully supported to aspire and exceed their potential at school and beyond.
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