Young Carer Support

Fairfield High School is an affiliated member of the Carers Support Centre and we work in partnership to establish support for students who are young and carrying out caring responsibilities.

We acknowledge that there are likely to be young carers amongst our students, and that being a Young Carer can have an adverse effect on their education; we are committed to identifying and supporting Young Carers to access the education to which they are entitled.

Young Carer Definition

A Young Carer is a child or young person who is helping to look after someone at home. Most are caring for a parent but some may be taking responsibility for a sibling, grandparent or other relative. In some instances a young carer may care for more than one family member.

Flexible Arrangements

We are able to offer flexible arrangements for our Young Carers depending on their circumstances.  Examples include:

· Access to a telephone during break and lunch time to phone home if necessary

· Negotiable deadlines for homework/coursework if required

· Access to a weekly Young Carers drop-in held at lunch time to meet other Young Carers and to have the opportunity to complete homework

· Lunch time detentions rather than after school detentions (where possible)

· Arrangements for schoolwork to be sent home (when there is a genuine crisis)

· Any approved absence for a young carer will be time limited (DfES 2006)

If you have any queries about Young Carers or would like to talk to a member of staff regarding special arrangements, please contact our Young Carer Support Worker, Amy Hornsby at [email protected]. The SLT Young Carer Lead is Cashan Campbell at [email protected]