Bailey’s story shared for Young Carers Action Day on 16th March
It’s Young Carers Action Day on 16th March and Carer Support Dorset are raising awareness by sharing the story of one of our sister charities former young carer Bailey, who went from a young adult carer to a job working with us to support carers themselves.
Across the UK, thousands of young people look after a family member, partner or friend who couldn’t otherwise manage without them. From helping with practical tasks, such as cooking, housework and shopping; to physical care, such as helping someone out of bed, andemotional support, young carers can find that looking after someone takes up a lot of their time. They can find it very difficult to cope – as in Bailey’s case.
“I left sixth form in 2016, and soon moved in with my partner. My partner then became unwell, and I began to look after them before long becoming their full time carer. It made it hard to leave the house or leave my partner alone for any time at all. I had no independence. When I finally attended a young adult carer café, it was the first time I’d met other young people in years” Bailey said.
And Bailey’s not alone, with an estimated 376,000 young adult carers (16 – 25’s) in the UK, many struggle with juggling education and employment with their caring role, with young adult carers three times as likely to be NEET (not in education, employment, or training) as other young people. (https://carers.org/about-caring/about-young-adult-carers)
But Bailey is just one young adult carer who has beat the statistics through support from Carer Support Wiltshire, and Bailey now works at Carer Support Dorset’s, the sister charity to where she first reached out for support as a young carer.
“When I got in contact with Carer Support Wiltshire and met support worker Andrea James, I didn’t know what to expect. I was in a really low place myself; I didn’t have many friends, and I wasn’t sure what support was out there for me.”
Bailey began attending the charity’s monthly young adult carer cafes; a space for young people who are looking after someone to relax, have some much needed time to themselves, and get advice from support workers.
“It really helped with my mental health and encouraged me to engage in more activities. I attended workshops on mental health, and my confidence started to build. Soon I was becoming more involved in the groups, helping out with running the cafes and events. It felt amazing to finally wake up in the morning and have something to look forward to.”
Bailey began volunteering for Carer Support Wiltshire, working with other young adult carers to feedback on services and develop new one. As part of the LGBTQ+ community, Bailey played a key role in planning LGBTQ+ events and highlighting the need to include these young adult carers.
Research from the Carers Trust found that carers who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender are three times more likely to be bullied than other young carers and 15% more likely compared to other young LGBT people.
“LGBTQ+ young caregiver issues are something I’m really passionate about, and I started to realise sharing my own experience could help others. Volunteering for Carer Support Wiltshire made me start to think about getting a job doing something to help carers. I didn’t know it was out there before or that my skills and experience as a carer could be put to use.”
Many young carers and young adult carers worry that a gap in their employment history from the time they spent caring could stop them from getting a job. Others worry they are lacking in experience or skills to move onto university or employment.
Young Carers Action Day, an annual event organised by Carers Trust, is focusing on just this concern, highlighting the incredible skills young carers and young adult carers have developed through being caregivers, like resilience, time-management and empathy.
Soon, a job became available at our charity, Carer Support Dorset, for a carer adviser. With support and encouragement from support worker Andrea, Bailey took a leap and applied for the job.
“I didn’t think I was going to get it because I worried I didn’t have enough professional skills or work experience, but I did have an understanding of caring roles, and what carers go through, plus vast volunteering experience working directly with carers.
“I was actually scared to apply because of being isolated for so long. It was a big step.”
Bailey secured the job as a carer adviser, giving them a chance to directly support carers, provide information and advice, signpost to other organisations and make connections in the community.
“It just shows that for other young people looking after someone, there is hope. My years of caring were looked as a positive, I had gained transferable skills and had empathy and understanding of caregiver issues.
“I learned that I need to be more confident in my skills. And now I feel motivated and inspired for my future. I used to think I could never get a job, and now I’m thinking about progressing, taking on more leadership, and exploring just what I can do.”
You can find information about Young Carers Action Day through #YoungCarersActionDayon social media. Carer Support Dorset has lots of information for younger carers on its dedicated young carer website https://www.carersupportdorset.co.uk/young-carers/.
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