Making a Young Carer Referral
You can refer a child or young person to our Young Carers Service if you believe they may be providing care or support to someone within their family.
The child or young person being referred must be at least 6 years old.
Before submitting a referral, please:
- Complete all sections of the referral form, including your referrer information.
- Make sure you have the information needed about the child or young person and their family. If information is missing, please speak with the parent/carer before submitting the referral, as incomplete information may delay registration.
- Make sure both the young person and their parent/carer are aware that the referral is being made and are happy for our service to contact them.
Once we receive the referral, we will register the young carer with our service and contact the family with information about what happens next, including any consent information that needs to be completed.
Young Carers’ Needs Assessment
Young carers aged 6–18 can have their needs considered regardless of:
- who they care for
- the type of care they provide
- how frequently they provide care
A young person does not need to be providing a set amount of care before concerns about their caring responsibilities can be explored.
Young carers do not need to complete a Young Carers Assessment before accessing our Young Carers Service.
Consent and information sharing
We want young people and families to understand what information is being collected, why it is needed and who it may be shared with.
Before a referral for a Young Carers Assessment is made, please ensure the young carer and their parent/carer understand the assessment process and how information from the assessment may be shared with the Local Authority.
Appropriate consent must be obtained before information is shared, unless there is another lawful basis or safeguarding requirement that means information needs to be shared.
Please make sure your organisation’s data protection and safeguarding procedures are followed when making a referral.
Request a Young Carers Assessment
If you are a young carer, a parent or carer, or a professional supporting a young person, you can contact us to talk about requesting a Young Carers Assessment.
You do not have to know exactly what support is needed before getting in touch.
We can talk through your situation, explain what happens next and help make sure the young carer’s voice is heard.
Please note: if you have completed the form without consent, you may be breaching GDPR laws.
Young Carers Referral Form
