Gill Atherton's Healthwatch

CARING for carers is a growing concern but one group which tends to be overlooked are the youngsters.

In Preston, there are known to be 54 children, aged between 12 and 17, who look after relatives at home while trying to balance schoolwork and housework, but the true figure could much higher.

They receive little support and often don't tell people about their situation for fear of being stigmatised.

But now there's help at hand for this diligent little workforce in the form of a new scheme, Preston Young Carers Project, which was set up just two weeks ago by Denise Partington.

Denise Partington has had plenty of experience in the field of care, having worked as a residential social worker, advisor to special needs students, and community care planning co-ordinator for Preston Council for the Voluntary Services (CVS).

It was through her work with the CVS that she realised how little help there was for young carers and how much they needed a project like this.

"In one case a boy of 11 was giving personal care to his mother," she said. "He didn't want to stop caring for her but he did want to stop bathing her."

Denise stepped in and arranged for some one to go round to provide a regular bathing service.

She said: "These cases are not common, but they should not be happening at all. Often all that's required is a simple solution to resolve an unbearable situation."

Although the project only started two weeks ago, Denise wants to get her message across as soon as possible.

"We are targeting schools before they finish for the summer. This is a particularly crucial time for them," she said.

"Their social life is curtailed most of the time but during summer, they are particularly isolated. I'm trying to get posters up in schools, giving details of how I can be contacted if they need support."

But the scheme aims to offer a lot more than just talk, and Denise hopes to co-ordinate groups where youngsters can take time out and share their experiences with others in similar situations.

She also wants to set up some sort of training for the youngsters.

"They tend to suffer back injuries in later life because they aren't lifting in the correct way. These kind of problems can be avoided and that's what the training will be aimed at, protecting them from the ravages of caring in their young life."

Anyone wishing to contact Denise can call her on 251108 or call the national carers helpline on 0345-573369.

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