15-year-old Phoenix cares for his mum, Crystal, but he was not aware of his role until someone from Carers First stepped in. Receiving support from Carers First has meant that he has felt encouraged and supported to advocate for his own needs and feelings as a young person, something which has had an immense positive impact.
Phoenix first began caring for his mum, Crystal, after she sadly lost her own mum due to illness. Phoenix took it upon himself to ensure that his mum felt supported and looked after during this time. He offered her emotional support more than anything, with small but kind gestures like making teas, and doing more chores around the house. As the grieving process was extremely difficult for Crystal and the whole family to come to terms with, Phoenix’s care was appreciated greatly by everyone in the household.
The support Phoenix has received from Carers First since one of our Southend team members identified him has been life-changing. They guided him with registering as a young carer and introduced him to the groups and events we offer to young people. Phoenix is very grateful for the support and understanding he has felt by the team at Carers First:
“The support from Young Carers has been exceptional.”
“When I’m at Young Carers, I feel more relaxed. It’s a nice place where I don’t have to think about everything I usually worry about. It helps me escape from the struggles and worries I face, and it helps me feel a bit better.
I’ve also met other young carers. I met someone who liked some of the same things as me, had the same breed of dog as me, and liked the same band as me. I enjoy the outings too. The main one for me was roller skating, because that was really fun and I enjoyed it.”
Phoenix expresses how being a young carer often made him feel overwhelmed, with the added pressure of school and communicating his own needs when necessary. As he has ASD and Tourette’s, certain things like rules in school changing would leave Phoenix feeling stressed and misunderstood. Carers First provided a safe space and given him the confidence to speak up and advocate for himself:
“I definitely feel supported there. Yvonne and Gladys are lovely. They have nice personalities, and I feel comfortable around them. They are nice to communicate with because they understand, and they are just really nice people in general. One of the biggest challenges for me as a young carer is feeling drained a lot of the time.
I’ve also had some emotional challenges, especially with school at certain points while I was a young carer. I feel like everything that was happening at the time was piling on, and being a young carer made it feel more overwhelming.
I also sometimes find communication difficult. There can be misunderstandings where people misinterpret what I’m saying, or I misinterpret what they’re trying to say. Sometimes people don’t hear me properly, and then things have to be explained again, which can become frustrating and tiring.”
Phoenix’s story showcases the powerful impact that a safe, carer friendly environment can have on a young person. This Carers Week, we are pushing for more support and understanding of the challenges that young carers like Phoenix face, so that they feel heard.
Click here to find out about the support we offer at Carers First.
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