The John Frost School is proud of the fact that we have been awarded the prestigious Young Carers ‘Beyond the Basics’ Award and are currently working towards 'Best Practice in the Young Carers in Schools' programme.
At The John Frost School, we are aware that some of our students are young carers. A Young Carer is a child under 18 who regularly helps to look after a family member or friend who is disabled, ill, has mental ill health or an addiction problem.
Children may engage in:
- Practical tasks (cooking, housework and shopping)
- Physical care (lifting or helping someone use the stairs)
- Personal care (dressing, washing, helping with toilet needs)
- Managing the family budget (collecting benefits and prescriptions)
- Managing medication
- Looking after younger siblings
- Helping someone communicate
When completing one or more of these tasks becomes a necessity, then we would classify a student as a young carer. Research suggests there are at least 800,000 young carers in the UK, but many do not realise they are a young carer.
We know that young carers may need a little extra support to enjoy and do well at school. At The John Frost School, we are committed to ensuring that all students who are young carers are identified and supported effectively.
We can offer additional pastoral support, small group workshops, lunch clubs and access to other opportunities inside and outside school. We link up with the local Young Carers Service and Barnardo's to offer our students more support both within school and outside of school.
At The John Frost School, we have a lead professional, Mrs L Pollard, who has 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 have highlighted, please let us know. You can contact the school on 01633654100 and ask to speak to Mrs Pollard, who is available to help you.
For more information on how we support our Young Carers, please read the supporting documents or follow the Barnado's link below:
https://www.barnardos.org.uk/get-support/young-carers