Remember, if you as a family are receiving adequate support, your child should not have to take on inappropriate caring responsibilities.
Make sure that you get the help you are entitled to as a family:
If you have a disability or illness, have mental ill-health, or if you are affected by substance misuse, you may need someone to help look after you, or support you to look after your own children; you should:Contact your GP or Ring your local social services department and request an assessmentYou can also request an assessment if you care for a child or someone else in your family who is ill or disabled.
An assessment is not a test of whether you are a good parent or not, it is a way of finding out what you and your family need to stay well and what services you need for yourself and to support you in looking after your children. During an assessment, a social worker or sometimes a health worker will talk to you in private about your health problem and what help you need. More information is available on our main site.
Make sure that the person who does the assessment asks the whole family what would help them.
Find out if you are claiming all the benefits you are entitled to. You can get help to do this by contacting your local Citizen’s Advice BureauContact the relevant local or national support organisation for the illness, condition or disability you are dealing with. They may have a dedicated telephone helpline you can call for support and advice for yourself and your child. There are also organisations such as Contact a Family and Disabled Parents Network who can give general advice to families about living with disability. Talk to any professionals involved with your family about how you are feeling and about your child’s caring role. Make sure they are aware of the family situation. They may be able to suggest things to help.Talk to your local young carers’ service if your child attends one. They may be able to help you talk to the school or other professionals about the child who is caring. You may also be able to meet other parents in a similar position through a young carers’ service.Build a support network. If you have family or friends nearby, keep them informed about the condition of the person being cared for and consider asking for help when you need it.Consider making a plan of what to do in an emergency and share it with your child. This will give your family the confidence to handle difficult situations when they arise.
