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The Northern Ireland Regional Young Carers Service (NIRYCS) is delivered in partnership by agencies including Action for Children and Barnardo’s NI. These services can offer you a break from caring, a listening ear, individual support, information about illnesses, peer support groups, personal development, group work programmes, fun social activities, a voice, a safe environment to express concerns and worries, advocacy, advice and signposting.

Both Action for Children and Barnardo’s employ staff who will meet with young carers referred to them, complete an assessment of your needs and then agree and deliver a package of support appropriate to your needs.

Which service you contact will depend what area you live in. If you live within the Belfast, South or South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust Areas, you should contact:

Action for Children

Loughshore House 10 Heron Road

Belfast

BT3 9LE

Phone: 028 9046 0500

Email: niyoungcarers@actionforchildren.org.uk

If you live within the Northern or Western Health and Social Care Trust Areas, you should contact:

Barnardo’s NI

36a Westland Road

Magherafelt

BT45 5AY

Phone: 028 7963 1344

Email: MagherafeltAdminMailbox@barnardos.org.uk

If you are aged between 8-18 and have a substantial caring role for a member of your family, you can get help from the Northern Ireland Regional Young Carers Service.

Different organisations will be able to offer you different help and support depending on what your needs are, however the most common things that organisations can do for you include:

•            Organising outings and activities for you

•            Giving you carers advice and emotional support

•            Helping you and your family to get support from social services

•            Talking to your school so teachers understand your situation and can be supportive

•            Letting you know about drop-in centres where you can take a break, have fun and meet other young carers

Someone from your local Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust or the Regional Young Carers Service will reach out to speak to you and your parents/guardians.

They will complete paperwork for an assessment of your caring role and see what support you might need.  The assessment should look at the impact on your education, your health and your future needs.  If you have had an assessment in the past and your needs have changed then you can ask for a new updated assessment to be carried out.

Depending on your needs, a package of support may then be put in place to help you as a young carer.

If you are a young carer, you can ask your local Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust or the Regional Young Carers Service to make an assessment to decide what help you and your family might need. You can also ask your parents/guardians, a teacher, a youth worker or another adult you trust to contact this service for you.

 If you need help to do this, you can talk to our free legal advisors by:

Email: ree@childrenslawcentre.org

Free Phone: 08088085678

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