At Devizes School, we believe that all children and young people have the right to an education regardless of their home circumstances. We acknowledge that there are likely to be young carers among our pupils and that being a young carer can have an adverse effect on a young person’s education. We have adopted our young carers policy so that we will be able to relieve some of the worries that young carers may have about home and their school work.

Who are Young Carers?

Young carers are children and young people whose lives are affected by looking after someone at home. They are carrying out tasks and responsibilities in addition to those appropriate for their age. The person they look after may have one or more of the following:

  • Physical disability.
  • Mental health issues.
  • Learning difficulties.
  • Alcohol- or drug-related problems.
  • Long-term illness.

The person they care for may be a parent, sibling, or grandparent, and the care they give may be physical and/or emotional. Young carers’ responsibilities may include:

  • Personal care (e.g. bathing, dressing, feeding).
  • Giving or prompting medication/injections.
  • Shopping.
  • Housework.
  • Emotional support.
  • Looking after younger siblings.
  • Budgeting and paying bills.

If you feel that your child may be a young carer, please feel free to get in touch with the Young Carer leads (K Fraser, L Tilley, J Macphee) to discuss support that we can put into place.

You can also find our Young Carers policy here.

Useful Links for local young carer support: 

Young carers - Wiltshire Council – this website contains information on the young carers assessment with IFD to register them as a young carer, as well as information about youth action Wiltshire and the provision they offer. 

Young Carer Voice- Wiltshire Council – this page has information about the Young Carers Council and the Young Carer Magazine.

Youth Action Wiltshire | Wiltshire Young Carers Service - they are commissioned by Wiltshire Council to provide the Young Carers Service. They have young carer support workers for each Wiltshire region and offer fun breaks with other young carers. 

Contact YAW Young Carers Service at [email protected]. 

Young Adult Carers - Carers Together Wiltshire – for the young adult carers provision – that would cover over 16’s and they can get support with college and the transition. 

Forward Carers - provide Wiltshire's digital offer for all age unpaid carers. 

Forward Carers provide a Young Carers ID Card: 

To sign up for a Young Carers ID Card click here.