B is a young carer who provides both emotional and practical support to her grandmother and younger sibling. Over time, her grandmother’s health deteriorated significantly, resulting in an increase in B’s caring responsibilities and placing considerable pressure on her emotional wellbeing.
As caring demands intensified, B began experiencing worsening mental health, affecting her ability to cope both at home and within education settings. The cumulative impact of balancing caring responsibilities alongside her own developmental and emotional needs placed her at risk of poor mental health outcomes, reduced engagement with education, and increased social isolation.
Key Risks and Needs Identified
- Escalating caring responsibilities linked to a family member’s declining health
- Deterioration in emotional wellbeing and increased psychological distress
- Difficulties with emotional regulation affecting behaviour within school and other environments
- Re-emergence of self-harming behaviours, indicating heightened vulnerability
- Limited opportunities to communicate her experiences and influence decisions about her support
- Risk that her identity as a young carer would be overlooked within mental health pathways
Advocacy Intervention
A consistent, relationship-based advocacy approach was provided to ensure B’s voice remained central to discussions regarding her wellbeing and support planning. Advocacy focused on enabling participation, promoting coordinated responses, and ensuring her experiences as a young carer were recognised alongside her mental health needs.
Key interventions included:
- Preparation and support for meetings, enabling B to identify the issues most important to her and feel more confident participating in discussions
- Attendance at multi-agency meetings, including school-based reviews and appointments with mental health professionals
- Supporting self-expression, helping B articulate her thoughts, feelings, and concerns regarding the impact of caring responsibilities on her wellbeing
- Promoting recognition of her caring role, ensuring professionals understood the cumulative impact of family circumstances on her mental health
- Facilitating collaborative working, encouraging communication between education, health, and support services to develop a coordinated response
Outcomes and Impact
- Feelings and Behaviour: Increased confidence in discussing emotional wellbeing and seeking support when needed
- Staying Safe and Well: Greater recognition of the risks associated with deteriorating mental health, leading to more responsive support planning
- Education and Learning: Improved ability to engage with school-based support and communicate the impact of caring responsibilities on attendance, behaviour, and participation
- Family and Relationships: Validation of B’s caring role and increased understanding among professionals of the pressures she experiences at home
- Identity and Self-Esteem: Enhanced confidence in expressing her views and advocating for her own needs within professional settings
Impact and Added Value of Advocacy
Advocacy provided an important protective factor during a period of increasing vulnerability. By ensuring B was supported to participate meaningfully in meetings and decision-making processes, advocacy helped professionals gain a fuller understanding of the intersection between her caring role and her mental health needs.
The intervention contributed to:
- Improved engagement with support services
- Greater consistency in professional responses across agencies
- Increased recognition of the emotional impact of caring responsibilities
- A more personalised and strengths-based approach to planning ongoing support
Without advocacy, there was a risk that B’s experiences as a young carer would remain secondary to her mental health presentation, limiting opportunities for holistic intervention.
Voice of the Young Person
“Having someone with me means I don’t have to explain everything on my own. People understand what it’s like for me now.”
Learning and Service Insight
This case demonstrates the importance of recognising the relationship between caring responsibilities and mental health outcomes for young carers. It highlights the value of independent advocacy in enabling young people to participate in decisions affecting them, particularly when they are experiencing emotional distress.
Advocacy can play a critical role in ensuring that young carers are seen not only through the lens of risk or mental health need, but as individuals whose caring responsibilities require recognition, understanding, and coordinated support to prevent escalation and promote resilience.
To find out more about how Sandwell Advocacy is supporting young carers and their parents, please visit our SAYC project page.