Talk to our City Connections Wellbeing Coordinator

As a carer, it is important that you take care of our own health and wellbeing. Our City Connections Wellbeing Coordinator offers a friendly, confidential listening ear and can talk over the phone or meet you anywhere in The City. 

We can help you: 

• To access services that can support you in your caring role.
• To access training that will help you feel more confident.
• To access expert information and advice on your rights as a carer.
• To find a balance between caring and the rest of life.
• To meet and share experiences with other carers and hear from local professionals.
• To help you find ways to follow your interests and hobbies.

Call us on 0203 957 9844 or email info@cityconnections.org.uk

Where can I get help?

You may be entitled to support from Children’s Services. For example, you can be given financial support or breaks from your caring responsibilities. Either you or your family can ask Children’s Services for an assessment. 

The assessment will look at: 

• How much and what type of care you are giving.
• Whether the care you are giving is affecting your own health and well-being.
• Whether any of your caring tasks are too much or whether it is not really right for you to be doing those types of tasks.
• Whether support could be given directly to the person being cared for so you don’t need to. You should be involved in the assessment as well as your parents and anyone else you or your parents want to have involved. Your wishes should be considered.

If you are a young carer of an adult (someone aged 18 or over), you can request a Carer’s Assessment from the Children and Families Team. Call 020 7332 3621 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm) or email the Children’s Duty Team to see if you are eligible for support children.duty@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Children and Families Emergency Out of hours can be contacted on 020 8356 2710 (outside of normal working hours).

Local Support

As a young carer, it can be difficult to have the time to focus on your own interests, schoolwork, career goals, and hobbies. Our City Connections Wellbeing Coordinator can help you to access support in the City which can help you to work towards your own goals and aspirations, and even inspire you to work out what you want to do when you are older.

• City Connections Young Carers Hub: second and fourth Monday of each month 4-5pm at the Portsoken Community Center – come in and see us, even if you’re not sure if you are a young carer! We provide a space for young carers to have some space to just enjoy fun activities and have a break from their responsibilities each week, and to chat to our staff about any problems they are having. During the school holidays, we take the group out on exciting trips to all sorts of places.

• The Renaissance Foundation is also a great pan-London service for helping young carers aged 12 – 16 years to achieve their own goals in education and career aspirations, or even to figure out what you are interested in after school: www.renaissance-foundation.com

National Support

Young City Carers may also be able to access support from national organisations. The organisations below can provide support for young carers. 

• Action for Children provides various services offering practical and emotional support to young carers: www.actionforchildren.org.uk or 01923 361500 

• Carer’s Trust provides an online community for young carers: https://carers.org/ 

• Barnardos support young carers and their families with various services: www.barnardos.org.uk 

• The Children’s Society offers various services providing support to young carers: www.youngcarer.com or 01962 711511 

• Coram Voice is a free advocacy helpline for Children and Young People: www.coramvoice.org.uk/alwaysheard or 0808 800 5792