Siobhan is 14 and officially became a young carer in March 2009. She, along with her parents, look after her younger brother Sean who has Asperger’s Syndrome. Siobhan is very good at caring for Sean, and also provides a calming influence on him when he suffers from severe temper tantrums. Siobhan and her parents receive carer support via their social worker and it was their social worker who recommended they speak to Siobhan’s school to find out what additional support services could be made available to assist Siobhan at school.
The social worker explained that it was important Siobhan’s caring duties didn’t start to affect her school work. It was Siobhan herself who approached her teacher direct to get help. She explained her situation and asked what the school could do to help. The teacher was very supportive and informed Siobhan of regular counselling sessions and homework support that were available to her and got the ball rolling from there.
Every week Siobhan now has the option of time with a trained counsellor to talk about her young carer responsibilities and experiences. She also gets access to a quiet space, away from her school and home, to allow her to concentrate on her homework undisturbed. Her parents have noticed the positive effects of this support. Siobhan has grown in confidence and her schoolwork has also improved.
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