Young Carers at Standish Community High School
Standish Community High School is dedicated to enhancing provision for young carers and their families.
A young carer is a child or young person under 18 who helps look after a family member with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or addiction. This can involve practical tasks such as cooking, cleaning, or helping with personal care, as well as providing emotional support.
We recognise that young carers face unique challenges and we are committed to ensuring that they have access to the support they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
To achieve this, we will continuously review and refine our provision to ensure that it is responsive to the evolving needs of our young; supporting inclusivity, equality of opportunity and holistic support for all students.
Our Commitment
- Whole-school approach: Standish Community High School is fully committed to meeting the needs of young carers, ensuring they can access and enjoy school in the same way as their peers, and that they are empowered to achieve their full potential
- Designated Young Carers’ School Lead: To provide focused support, we have appointed Mrs Nicholson, Mrs Thompson, Mrs Collier and Miss Makinson as the designated Young Carers’ Champions. They are responsible for overseeing the needs of young carers and ensuring they are supported both academically and emotionally. Use email address contactus@standishchs.wigan.sch.uk to contact any of our Young Carers’ Champions
- Confidential and collaborative information sharing: In accordance with safeguarding principles, the school shares information about young carers only with relevant professionals and agencies on a need-to-know basis, ensuring confidentiality while providing the necessary support
- Feedback and partnership working: Standish Community High School is committed to actively seeking feedback from young carers and their families to shape and improve the support we provide. We recognise that effective communication with students and families is key to tailoring our approach to their needs
- Referral systems and external agency partnerships: The school has established an effective referral system, with strong partnerships in place with external agencies, including Young Carer services. These agencies provide key workers who offer targeted support, ensuring young carers and their families receive the comprehensive help they need
Internal Support – How We Support Young Carers in School
We can offer the following support on a needs basis:
- Advice and guidance
- Access to designated Young Carer School Leads, who are available to talk and provide support
- Key Workers who can offer wellbeing resources and strategies to help manage stress
- Personalised study plans and flexibility when caring responsibilities impact schoolwork
- Enhanced careers advice
- Access to school-day visits and trips
- Access to safe spaces within school
- Referrals to external services for additional support
- Time-out passes, where appropriate
- Early exit passes, where appropriate
We also have a Young Carers Champions Group, where students can share their views, provide feedback, and help us continue improving provision for all Young Carers at Standish Community High School.
External Support – Additional Support Available
Young Carers and families may also find the following organisations helpful:
- The Carers Trust – www.carers.org
- Wigan and Leigh Young Carers – www.wlccarers.com
- Carers UK – www.carersuk.org
- The Young Carers Support App – a free resource
- Pete Owen Mindfulness Therapies – please speak to your child’s Head of Year for more information
- Caring Together – www.caringtogether.org
Standish Community High School strives to implement best practice across all areas of support for young carers. By doing so, we aim to provide young carers with the opportunities and resources they need to succeed, both now and in the future.
