Balancing college or work whilst caring

Young carers tend to have a lot on their plate and it can bring up a lot of emotions as you juggle helping at home, checking in during the done and trying to concentrate on your own homework, training or job. If you're finding it difficult to balance everything in your life, you are not failing. Caring for others can take a lot of time and energy and it's completely understandable if it affects your education, work or plans for the future.

One of the hardest things about being a young carer can be feeling like everything is your responsibility, but you can ask for help. Could someone else in your family take on one of the jobs you normally do in the home? Could a friend help you get to college? Could your workplace make an adjustment to help you manage? Even one small change can make a difference and you don't need to have a solution before you ask for help. Grab a pen and paper and try to write down everything you have to do in a typical week; it will probably read along the lines of 'looking after siblings, college work, household jobs, remembering appointments or medications, looking after yourself and sleeping' - you might be surprised by how much you're actually doing but once you've got it written down, you can start thinking about what could be changed, shared or made easier. Then, when everything is happening at once, you'll be able to see where the pressure is coming from, or explain this to others in a way they understand.

What if I'm at college?

If you're at college, talking to a teacher or tutor about your caring role is important as they can't help you when they don't understand why you're tired, late, distracted or struggling. Try to find one person you trust and let them know what's going on. This could be a teacher, student support worker, pastoral or wellbeing team, a careers advisor or safeguarding lead. They will be able to listen and help you find practical ways to manage your workload alongside your responsibilities at home. For example, instead of thinking I need three hours to study, try breaking into into smaller chunks like 20 minutes of revision, short break and then back to it. You could also:

• Study when the person you're caring for is resting

• Use travel time for reading or listening to revision materials

• List out the most important things you need to get done

• Tell someone if caring responsibility are affecting deadlines.

What if I'm working?

Being a carer shouldn't mean you have to give up on your own career goals but may mean you need to explore work opportunities that fit around your caring. When looking for work, consider:

• How many hours can you realistically work?

• Will you need particular days or times off?

• What happens if there is an emergency at home?

• Does your employer offer flexible working

An open conversation with your employer will help you maintain a good working relationship with your manager and will allow you to fully utilise your legal rights as a young carer within the workplace. For example, under the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, you have the legal right to request flexible working hours, changes to shift patterns or remote work from the very first day on the job. Working carers can also take up to one week (5days) of unpaid leave every 12 months to arrange of provide care under the Carers Leave Act 2023 and are legally entitled to take reasonable, unscheduled time off to deal with unexpected emergencies involving a dependent. The Carers Trust have fantastic resources to help you understand your rights as a young carer which can be found here: https://carers.org/know-your-rights-young-carers-guide/know-your-rights-young-carers-guide-overview

Most importantly, you won't always be able to predict what will happen and sometimes people get unwell or an appointment might take longer than expected. If something unexpected happens, tell your college or employer as soon as you can. They can't always change or rearrange things but they'll have a much better chance of helping you if they know what's going on.

Find others who understand.

Sometimes the most helpful thing is talking to someone who just gets it. They've experienced similar scenarios or have responsibilities like yours so can offer information and practical support without you having to explain everything from scratch. Depending on your age, there are two different young carers groups which can offer support; Young Carers Notts, for those aged 18yrs and under and the Carers Hub Service for adults aged 18+