A 15-year-old young carer from Halesworth heads to Westminster to call for greater support
She wants to raise awareness of the challenges faced by children who help care for family members.
A 15-year-old young carer from Suffolk is set to travel to Westminster to raise awareness of the challenges faced by children who help care for family members.
Florence Walker, from Halesworth, will join other young carers meeting MPs as part of Young Carers Action Day, which aims to highlight the responsibilities many young people take on at home.
The event comes as charity Carers Trust launches a new Young Carers Covenant, calling on governments, schools, councils and employers to commit to better identifying and supporting young carers.
Florence's Story
Florence, who has been supported by Suffolk Family Carers for around five years, helps her family with day-to-day responsibilities while also balancing school and community activities.
Florence helps support her brother, who has autism and ADHD and complex needs, and also assists her father, who is autistic and lives with post-traumatic stress disorder. (PTSD)
She told us how she first realised caring wasn't something that every family experienced.
"I used to go to my friends' houses, and I felt it was different in their house than it was in mine. I noticed how they (her friends) didn't have to care for siblings as much as I did, or do things that have become normal for me."
Despite noticing this difference, she told us she really enjoys being a carer and being able to help her family.
"I really do like being a young carer. I think it shows me a lot about life and helps me with the future, and I really do like being it and I wouldn't not want to be one."
Greater awareness: what it means to be a young carer,.
Florence then explained how she's become aware that many people don't necessarily understand what it means to be a young carer and are often stereotyped.
"I think that people just expect young carers to be more helpful siblings when it comes to a lot more things than just being more helpful than average other like teenager...It is not just being an extra helper, it's in our life, and it was embedded in us to help our siblings or to help our carers."
Changes in school
Florence has already been able to bring some of these changes to her own school by starting and leading a young carers group, helping to raise awareness of just how many young people are in a similar position to her, as well as having more people to talk about it.
She tells us she wants teachers to have a greater understanding of young carers and put measures in place to accommodate their needs
"I wish there were places for us to go, if we have homework to catch up on, and teachers just understanding that having some time to catch up on things can be really helpful, because I know that I don't really put homework first on my list. I feel like my family is more my priority than having to worry about homework. Even if it's just an exit card that young carriers could use to exit the classroom for five minutes or to be able to go for a walk to calm themselves down and regulate themselves."
“I really do hope that my message does get across to many, many people,” She said.
“And I really do hope that there is a big change and there's more awareness about young carers and just having that support around us.”
Alongside caring responsibilities at home, Florence is also active in her local community.
She has previously been an ambulance cadet and helps elderly residents by feeding their pets and walking their dogs.
Support for young carers
The Young Carers Covenant, inspired by the Armed Forces Covenant, aims to improve support and opportunities for young carers across the UK.
According to Carers Trust, there are more than one million carers aged under 18 in the UK, roughly two young carers in every classroom.
The charity says at least 50,000 children and young people spend 50 hours or more each week caring for family members who are ill or disabled.
Kirsty McHugh, chief executive of Carers Trust, said many young carers face pressures that can affect their wellbeing and education.
“The lives of young carers in the UK are very different to those of their classmates,” she said.
“Many spend time making sure medication is taken by their loved ones, cooking meals and even running household finances.
“Without proper support, these huge responsibilities can overwhelm young carers and have a devastating impact on their education and future prospects.”
The covenant sets out a series of commitments aimed at improving support, including identifying young carers earlier and ensuring they can access education, training and employment opportunities.
Carers Trust is also calling on the UK Government to require every school, college and university to have a designated young carers lead and support policy.
Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza welcomed the initiative, saying young carers often feel overlooked.
“When I speak to young carers they tell me they often feel misunderstood and invisible,” she said.
“I have been calling for measures to be introduced for young carers to be identified as early as possible and I very much welcome this initiative.”
As part of Young Carers Action Day events, young carers from across the UK will meet MPs and ministers in Westminster to discuss the changes they hope to see.
Scott Walker said raising awareness of the realities young carers face is an important step.
He said he hopes the campaign will lead to “more awareness about young carers and just having that support around us”.