As you might have seen on our front page, we're helping the government to plan the best ways to help carers. And we need your opinions! So, if you'd like to help make a difference to people's lives, read on and join in.

Here's the official explanation:

"The Government is trying to decide how it can help all carers in the future. We have been asked by the Government to find out what would really help young carers so that their lives and the lives of family members they look after can be better in the future. It is really important to find out from you what help you and your family needs to have better lives. Your ideas will be shared with a company called Opinion Leader who will read all of your ideas and make suggestions to the Government about improving the lives of young carers and their families. All of your ideas will be treated in the strictest confidence and none of the comments will be linked with any young carer."

There are two ways you can join in. Firstly, you can come along to the special webchat with Sam and Ewan at 2:30 on Thursday 16th August. But if you can't make it to that, you can also let us know your thoughts here on this thread.

These are the things we'd like to know:

1. What thing you would change about your life as a young carer?
2. What help would you like to support your family?

Here are some questions that you can think about:

- What help do you need to do the things that you want to do?
- What about young people who don’t have help from a project? What help do they need?
- What help do you need so that you can have more fun?
- What would help you live a more healthy life?
- What help do you need so that you can stay safe?
- If you had to give a message to your teacher, what would that be?
- What would you like to tell your social worker?
- What should your GP know to help you and your family?

So, have a think. We know you lot are never short of ideas and opinions, so we're looking forward to seeing what you think!

The Youngcarers.net team.

Hiya im really sorry that i couldnt make the chat but as promised here is my responce.

1. What thing you would change about your life as a young carer? A few years ago i would have said everything- however now i have been a yc abit longer i know that that is just unrealistic to change my dad completly. There are things that i would like changed like how young carers projects are funded- there are loads of yc's out there who need help and support but cant get the support they need cuz of lack of funding.
2. What help would you like to support your family? Some1 who understands to be able to tlk to when some1 is first diagnosed to explain to every1 even the kids about what has happened and how things are going to be- even if its for the worst cuz its better to be told than nothing at all. It would be nice to have some one to see how we r coping- cuz we were offered to have resbite care n mum said no- but i fink if we were offered it now we might be more inclined to take it up. so basically the support 4 my family is- More of it for all of us- not just the one who is ill.

Here are some questions that you can think about:

- What help do you need to do the things that you want to do? We need more opertunitys to have breaks from our caring role. We also need extra help and support to reach our dreams no matter if other people have the same dream- for example my dream is to go 2 uni and it has always been in my head that i wouldnt go 2 a uni too close cuz it was my way of gaining inderpendance- however im not sure i can go cuz it means leaving home, and there aint the support there 4 every1 else if i go.
- What about young people who don’t have help from a project? they need help! Its hard enough being a young carer with support let alone doing it with out the support.

  What help do they need? They need ppl that can give them support, some one to talk to and help when they need help.
- What help do you need so that you can have more fun? Some one 2 step in so we dont have to worry- although its often the coming back to reality that is the most difficult so something to bring us back to what we r use to and to get us out of the low we hit wen we hit reality. cuz i get really down when i have been out having fun and then come bk to dad being really bad and then that discourages me from going out again in the future.
- What would help you live a more healthy life? Sleep, lol but you cant really hand that out on a plate can ya, giving me a watch that stops time so that i can have more time to do the healthy life thing- then cuz u cant do that either i dont know what to sujest for this one. 
- What help do you need so that you can stay safe? Ummm sum bubble wrap- only joking umm i think the way so that we stay safe is a procedure that we could follow- for example who to call if we needed some 2 help say if the person we care for went into hospital or summithing like that. cuz then we'd b able to keep ourselves safe.
- If you had to give a message to your teacher, what would that be? Umm Thanks Miss W, all my teachers oh exept my new english teacher know my situation and my music teacher has been my saviour this past year- i struggled through my gcse's, with the help of a couple of teachers givin me a bit of support, then this yr i have become a person that i love and although i have dips most of my road this yr has been on the railway tracks- no matter how big the tracks were. But i couldnt have done it without my Music teacher- she is always there 4 me when eva i need 2 chat, cry or what ever. However for other teachers the message can b abit mixed cuz it really depends sum teachers arent understanding.
- What would you like to tell your social worker? What social worker- who are they- cuz they aint involed in this situation.
- What should your GP know to help you and your family? well atm my gp dont do anything- but we could have done with advice at the beginging as to what to expect and where to get responce when we needed it, however thats not what we got. My GP should be sum1 i could tlk to and have advice from, but i havent felt that.

I really really hope that this helps get proppa help and support for other Young Carers.

Hello,

Sorry I couldnt make the chat either I completely forgot about it.

(1)  What thing you would change about your life as a young carer ? - The one thing that I would change about my life as a young carer is that my dad got support and time away from caring for mum as he is her main carer and he takes his anger and stress out on me and my older sister. Other than that i wouldnt want to change anything.

(2)  What help would you like to support your family ? - I would like my mum to have a cpn or something like that, someone that she can talk to as at the moment she talks to me my sister and my dad about wanting to commit suicide and self harming and that. I would like my dad to have someone he can talk to as at the moment he bottles things up which makes him depressed. I would like my sister to go out and make friends and enjoy life to the max she will need someone to help her do that though as she doesnt have much confidence  or self esteem.  For me i am ok at the moment.

(3) What help do you need to do the things you want to do ? - I go roller skating twice a week  with my mum. That is all that i can limit my fun time to at the moment but when mum gets really ill or dad gets ill or we have no money  i will sometimes not go at all. For me Having more fun than that is impossible unless there are trips provided by my local young carers centre which i go to. But recently due to lack of funding my yc project has had to cut down on trips. As far as im concerned noone can help us have fun unless my mum went into respite care which i wouldnt want to happen as the thought of someone else caring for her would make me worry. Educational wise i would like to go to all lessons but have the teacher understand and maybe help me if im not in a very stable mood as sometimes in lessons i cant concentrate i think that would help me achieve my goal at the end of my education.

(4) What about people who dont have a project ? what help do they need? - Every young carer should have a project in my opinion i think drop in young carers centres would be a great help in making sure of that.

(5) What would help you live a more healthy life? - Not being a young carer but not being a young carer would be my worst nightmare.

(6)What help do you need to stay safe? - Someone to turn to when our house boils over with emotions someone that can sit and talk to us all about how that could of been dealt better etc. I think this is important because otherwise it leads to people blanking each other and shouting at each other.

(7) If you had to give a message to your teacher, what would that be ?  - I would tell her that im a young carer but i wanted to be treated normally like other children. I would tell her about home work troubles and my worry of exams and also that sometimes when im late ring my mobile not the house phone.

(8) What would you like to tell your social worker? - I would like to tell my social worker all the things i use to like how i felt what was worrying me things like that.

(9) What should your GP know to help you and your family ? - I would never talk to a GP in all my life they judge me and my family I hate them.

Hope this helps

                                         Bratz 13 yrs

Hi folks,

Firstly, huge thanks to those of you wrote things for us here and who came to the chat last month to talk about it. All of your views have been sent off!

Just to let you know, there's going to be a second chance to talk about this in our special webchat - Wednesday 26th September, 4:00 - 6:00 pm. If you've not already told us what you think, come along and help to improve things for young carers! We're not asking you to come for the whole two hours (as it definitely won't take two hours!) - so just drop in sometime and join in the chat!

Thanks, and hope to see you there!

I have already done the first one so I will carry on from there,

2. What help would you like to support your family? I weould like there to be more projects for us and maybe some sort of certificate, medal ect.. for us if we do something outstanding. It is a hard one to answer because different people have different things to works around. I think that it would be best if you care for someone who is under 16, being able to get someone to care for them as well as you so that we could have some me time, as when you are 16 you can apply for direct payments. As I said in the webchat I believe that there should be some help with homework, so that you have just the same amount of time to do it in, but at a time that you can actually do it.

The first other two do not really include me with my disabilaty, and the next is not affecting me, so I come on to;

If you had to give a message to your teacher, what would that be? I think that I would tell her that we do this job and it needs to be recignised as a part of you, and you need help to cope with this. I think that all young carers should have a person who is a member of staff at your school who is there if you need to speak to. I would be good if you had some sort of sign or way of informing you teacher that you need a bit of time to speak to someone or to have a bit of a cry, as it can be very upsetting at sometimes.

- What would you like to tell your social worker? I cannot comment as I have not been given one.

- What should your GP know to help you and your family? About what caring role you do, not what the "average" carer does. They should also know about the king of help you need and wish for, and should try and get or provide this for you if possible.

 Please contact me if you need anything else, as I will try to answer as best as I can!

Speak to you soon!