Young Carers information

We have many pupils at Westlands School who are registered young carers, and we believe there are potentially more pupils who may meet the criteria of a young carer, but they are not yet registered. 

What is a young carer?

A young carer is someone under 18 who cares for a family member with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or substance abuse issue.

If you believe your child falls within the above criteria, please click one of the links below to register your child as a young carer to get them the additional support they may need.

All registered and engaging young carers of secondary/college age from 11-18yrs (including those moving up to year 7 from September) are entitled to apply for a free KCC Travel Saver and 16+ Travel Saver bus pass as long as they will not be 18 or older at the start of the academic school year.

The link for parents / carers to apply for either Travel Savers is: KCC Travel Saver - Kent County Council

Young Carers NEW Lunchtime Club

As a school from January 2025 we have been hosting a Young Carers lunchtime club facilitated by Crossroads Young Carers. Rhona Dennis who is a Young Carers project worker runs this club at Westlands School.

The club is open to any registered Young Carer so they can come along to make new friends by meeting other Young Carers, socialise and gain additional support. 

It is a non-judgemental, safe space where Young Carers can be themselves and have fun! Activities that run within the lunchtime club include: arts and crafts, board games and more. 

We would like to invite all Young Carers to attend this club which runs on the first Wednesday of each month from 12.30pm - 13.15pm in Room 7.

Westlands School works closely with the support services of Crossroads (Swale) and Imago (Kent and London) to support our young carers.

Further information below:

Crossroads

https://www.crossroadskent.org/service/young-carers

Call ☎️ 03450 956 701

Email 📧 enquiries@crossroadskent.org

Crossroads Care Kent is dedicated to supporting unpaid Carers in Kent by providing quality services that allow them to maintain a life of their own outside of their caregiving responsibilities. They strive to keep families together and ensure that Carers have access to the breaks and support they deserve, enabling them to continue their invaluable role in society. Through their tailored services and advocacy efforts, they empower Carers to live fulfilling lives while caring for their loved ones.

How does Crossroads Care Kent support young carers?

They provide one-to-one support, group activities, holiday outings, emotional support, family assistance, skills workshops, school liaison, and information and guidance.

To register your child with Crossroads Young Carers please see referral form at the bottom of this page.

Imago

://www.imago.community/Children-and-Young-People/Kent-Young-Carers

Call ☎️ 0300 111 1110

Email 📧  youngcarers@imago.community

Kent Young Carers (KYC) is the service provider for Young Carers aged 5-18 across Kent (excluding Medway).  Young Carers are taking on caring responsibilities for a family member with a long-term illness, disability, mental health or substance misuse issue.

KYC works with schools, communities, and statutory and voluntary agencies to identify hidden young carers. Following assessment, KYC offers a range of short-term interventions including signposting, one-to-one support, in school support and workshops. 

How does Imago support young carers?

During school holidays, they provide activity days for young carers. The activity days give the young carer respite from their caring role and an opportunity to experience new activities.

Targeted emotional support is offered alongside respite care, with mental health workshops and well-being sessions led by a trained counsellor. Imago and Crossroads can also refer individuals to one-to-one counselling sessions when needed. They have an open-door policy where anyone they support can always find a listening ear.

They offer one-to-one support to address the evolving needs of young carers, tackling issues such as confidence building, self-esteem, and facilitating access to specialist services. Additionally, in times of crisis,  they offer young carers one-to-one sessions, to enhance their well-being.

Regular group nights provide young carers with opportunities to socialise, make new friends and have time away from their caring role. Activities include resilience building, healthy eating activities, football, arts and crafts, board games, and Nintendo Wii. It's a non-judgemental space where they can be themselves. Refreshments are provided for a comfortable experience.

They also offer advice and guidance for families in relation to the young carers caring role.

To register your child with Imago Young Carers please see the below link: https://www.imago.community/young-carers-services/young-carers-services