Support for Sibling Carers
Today (10 April) is National Siblings Day, a global awareness day recognising brothers and sisters! If there is a child in the family who has a long-term illness, physical or learning disability, parents will help to provide care for that child, but also other members of the family will chip in with support, such as siblings.
National Siblings Day is great way of recognising children who share caring tasks with their parent(s) and often spend a lot of time coming second (or last) to the needs of another. As grown-up siblings, outliving their parents, they will continue with their caring role for their brother or sister throughout their lifetime.
Read these stories to get an insight what it’s like to be a young Carer and an Adult Carer for a sibling.
7-year-old Floyd
Young Sibling Carer Ethan
Adult Sibling Carer Matt
Adult Sibling Carer Mohamed
Adult Sibling Carer Amy
If your son or daughter helps to care for their sibling, support is available for those aged under the age of 18, contact Spurgeons for information and advice. For those aged 18 to 25, tailored support is available from our partner YMCA Sutton Coldfield. For sibling Carers over the age of 25, register for a range of free support from Birmingham Carers Hub.
What support is available for Young Sibling Carers in Birmingham?
We are working with Sense, a national disability charity that supports children and adults who are deafblind or have complex disabilities to communicate, experience the world, and fulfill their potential.
The Young and Sibling Carers in Birmingham project provides much needed services to give young and sibling Carers (aged 5 – 18) a break, a place to go, make and meet friends who are also Carers.
Young and sibling Carers have said they want to meet face-to-face and online, so this feedback has been implemented. The project includes online activities such as cooking, quizzes, film nights, science fun, gaming and book clubs for different ages, and online wellbeing sessions offered by a qualified counsellor. A face-to-face group meets monthly at TouchBase Pears in Selly Oak and offsite, with activities selected by the young and sibling Carers.
A residential weekend will be arranged during each of the two years of the project to celebrate the project and its achievements.
Contact details:
www.sense.org.uk
(Please complete this form to register your interest and find out more about the project)
In collaboration with Action for Children and YMCA Sutton Coldfield, the Y-Space Project, focuses on supporting young Carers in managing their mental health and equipping them with practical coping strategies for day-to-day stresses. The project will also help Young Carers with practical skills they might need in caring for siblings and/or parents and Carers via:
- Bouncing Back Mental Health Group Sessions: Providing mental health support to young Carers within schools.
- Essential Skills Workshops: Covering First Aid, managing behaviour, and managing medicines for young Carers in community venues.
- Individual Support for Future Planning: Offering one-on-one support to help young Carers with their further education and employment choices.
Support for Young Carers (aged 13-18) is also available from Action for Children through the Sidekick confidential helpline.
Contact details:
www.actionforchildren.org.uk
Y-Space@actionforchildren.org.uk.
Let’s celebrate the difference sibling Carers can make and ensure that they get all of the support they need.
#ItsaSiblingThing #NationalSiblingsDay2024
