Coventry teen shows us what life is like for young carers

The work of a young carer can often go unnoticed, but it is these extra tasks undertaken by that young person that make them extraordinary.

They're called young carers, but what they are is children, truly extraordinary children.

From physical jobs such as shopping, cooking or cleaning, to the equally demanding task of providing emotional support, young carers have a whole world of responsibility to navigate, and that's in addition to growing up.

We are here to meet Shay, a young carer in Coventry who was nominated for young carer of the year and helps care for his mum and sometimes his Nan.

Shay greets us at the door with a warm smile, and immediately invites us in to have a cup of tea and a chat.

Shay's life

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Something immediately striking about Shay is that he has that rare quality of being self assured, but still has a child like wonder and inquisitive nature that can be hard to find these days.

What is a young carer?

The young carer community is mostly hidden, as Rhupinder from Young Carers Coventry told us.

"These young people don't consider themselves to be carers, so referrals often come from social workers, teachers, or adults in that person's life."

There has been recent increased media attention on this under represented group. Ross Kemp fronted a documentary on living with young carers last month, but much remains to be understood about the true extent of the sacrifices that young carers make.

There are a few organisations that support young carers in Coventry, and Central Government are putting together a Carers Action Plan, introducing new levels of support.

A 2018 survey done by the Carers Trust found that:

46% are getting up in the night to care for family members, missing out on their own sleep
More than 80% are carrying out caring duties every day or most days of the week
1 in 10 young carers go to the shops unaccompanied to buy essentials for the family
3/4 of these children are providing emotional support by cheering up family members

Young Carers Coventry

Rhupinder, Young Carers Primary Schools worker said: "What we find is that young carers just crack on, they are resilient and mature a lot quicker than their peers.

"[The youth club] is a space to just be themselves, and not have to worry about taking care of anyone.

"Often we find that when they come to the youth club, they still want to help, make people a cup of tea or tidy up.

"It's about being a service they can fall back on, and a space where they can play games, talk about their problems and just chat."

Shay tells us how this has an impact on his life: "When you go to young carers sessions, you get that free time off and it's really nice because you get to meet new people.

"I just really enjoy going down there, playing the games and meeting people who may be new. I just really en joy it."

Depending on the activity, up to 40 young carers attend the youth club in Coventry, which also hosts family outings to the seaside, and organises parties that the families can come to.

In total, 1,600 young carers are registered with the service, but the organisation estimates that in Coventry alone there are many more that remain unregistered and unsupported.

What is life like for Shay?

Young carers tend to normalise the extraordinary things they do, and this is evident when Shay talks us through an average day.

Shay lives with his mum and her partner, and carries out domestic caring duties in the house, as well as helping his Nan Pat when he visits her.

He thinks nothing of getting himself up at 6:50am, making the breakfast and packing up his lunch (which he made the night before), as well as helping cook and clean around the house when he gets back in.

Shay says he makes sure he "has that free time in the morning" before catching the bus for a busy day at school.

"It's sort of a natural thing really...I just know how it works."

Shay's Nan Pat, who used to run support services for young carers in Coventry said: "He navigates life well, he has a high moral compass.

"When we're shopping he carries the bags and knows how to budget too.

"He's very close to his mum, being different is something he hasn't even thought about."

Guide dog Jenny was keen to get involved

Shay also writes a current affairs blog, and is even learning Mandarin.

"I write a blog for my [History] tutor about things that are happening currently, I do this every other week."

His blog on hurricane Florence was shared so widely last year, it reached the attention of a local radio station in America.

It really does seem that the sky is the limit for this young man, who has shouldered a great deal at an early age and remains bright, hopeful and active in taking the next step to achieve his dreams.

Nan Pat doesn't think it's a far off possibility that Shay will take up a leadership role in his professional life.

He is studying triple Science and History and hopes to go into "something tech based" when he's older.

His technical capabilities are clear even just from looking at the complex structures he has created out of Lego.

Shay's spirit is certainly indomitable, he has a zest for life that is quite remarkable for someone of his age and it doesn't seem that he has grasped just how special he really is.

Well done Shay on being nominated for young carer of the year, we can't wait to hear how you get on in the future.

You can visit the Coventry young carers website: www.youngcarerscoventry.com, or call 02476 632 972. The main office is located in Coventry Central Library.