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Flintshire supports young carers

Published: 12/02/2021

The new Young Carers Support Service was launched on 1 July 2020 and is being delivered by NEWCIS Young Carers.  

The service aims to provide a single and open access point for all young carers up to the age of 25 years old, their families, professionals and partner organisations. 

In the short space of time that NEWCIS Young Carers has been delivering the service, it has performed above the expectations of the service contract and delivery outcomes; which is a positive sign of what is to come.

NEWCIS had 47 young carers transfer to the new service in July 2020.  Since then, they have received 201 new referrals for young carers and a further 257 young adult carers under the age of 25 are already registered with NEWCIS.

Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Social Services and the Council’s Carers’ Champion, Councillor Christine Jones, said:

“Our young carers provide essential support to their families and loved ones and we greatly value their commitment and selflessness in providing that support. 

“We in turn are also committed to helping and supporting our young carers with those commitments and to ensure that their well-being is not neglected and that they are afforded all the opportunities for education and employment that other young people have access to.”

Covid-19 has impacted significantly on young carers, who are reporting a growing number of challenges as a result, including: increases in their caring role and responsibilities, isolation and balancing learning/education. 

The pandemic has also seen an increase in young carers seeking formal means of identification to enable them to access essential foods and medicines more easily.  The young carers designed a new logo for the service in August. A new website page and face book site for the young carers has been developed and NEWCIS have 242 followers on its social media site. 

Chair of Flintshire’s Social and Health Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Hilary McGuill, said:

“No one asks to be a young carer: it is thrust upon them due to circumstances beyond their control. What people don’t realise is how much of that young person’s life is taken up in the caring role, sometimes for an adult within the family, sometimes a sibling.  

“Anything we as a society can do to make those selfless young people’s  lives better, we should .That is why I praise the work that the Council and NEWCIS are doing with young carers who, working together, are changing young carers lives for the better.”

Flintshire’s support to young carers has been responsive and person centred to ensure that we are helping young carers during this extremely challenging time; this has included food and busy boxes, online support, virtual groups and activities as well as help with access to phones, tablets and internet so that young carers can stay connected. 

NEWCIS and our Young Carers have also been involved in developing the North East Wales Young Carer ID card which will be launched on 16 March, 2021.