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How to Use the Young Carers' Assessment of Needs

Personal Details, Section B

'What don't you like about caring?' - ask the young carer what tasks they might particularly dislike.

'What do you like about caring?' - prompt the young carer, ask them what they enjoy doing in their role.

'What do you find easy about caring?' - ask the carer about the easy aspects of their role from a physical and emotional/mental point of view.

'What do you find hard about caring?' - ask the carer about the difficult aspects of their role from a physical and emotional/mental point of view.

Impact of Caring, Section C

'Is there anything else that you feel?' - ask the young carer to explain their feelings and try to get them to explain any repressed or emotions or feelings that they struggle to describe.

'How well do you get on with the person you care for?' - ask about the nature of the relationship between the young carer and the cared for person and how open and amicable relations are between the two.

'Does the impact of caring affect your education in any other way?' - ensure that all areas are covered e.g. emotional impact, physical and mental bullying, etc.

Support Required, Section D

'Do you or your family receive any support or services already?' - make sure you ask about all possible services e.g. CAMHS, Connexions, Children's disability, Adults' disability, Adult Carers, Children's Social Care ('do you already have a social worker'?), Carers Bromley, anyone from school and any service that just the parents are accessing (e.g. Relate).

'How else would you like to be supported?' - consider services which would directly support the young carer as well as the cared for person and that would facilitate the day-to-day life of either person.

Emergencies, Section E

'What plans for the young carer need to be put in place if the cared for person needs to go into hospital?' - think about whether the young carer is old enough to be home alone and if not what can be organised to address this; assess the ability of the young carer getting to school and getting to the hospital to visit the cared for person.

'Is there anything else the young carer would like to say?' - address anything else that you as the social worker or the young carer would like to mention that has no already been covered.

End