Hannah’s Story: Support for Young Adult Carers Whilst Studying

My name is Hannah and I’m a young adult carer. A young adult carer is classed as a 16-25-year-old who cares, unpaid, for a family member or friend with a disability, mental health condition or addiction. There are at least 376,000 young adult carers in the UK.

I was identified as a young adult carer in my last year of sixth form, via self-referral after a particularly hard time at home. 

Due to this late identification, I missed out on support I could have received during high school, but I was determined to see how else I could be supported. When looking at universities, I realised that, as certain universities had bursaries and support packages for carers, I could continue to receive support. The University of Chester was one such University and this influenced my choice of higher education, as well as the kind staff and courses on offer.

As part of the University of Chester’s carer support package, you have access to a link member of staff who acts as an academic liaison and provides support with extensions and academic worries. There is also financial support, which is extremely helpful because families with care needs have less earning potential. 

Having access to a link member of staff at the University means you have someone to talk to about any issues. They can put you in touch with support services within/outside the University and provide help with things like contacting doctors' surgeries.

The University is also trying to set up a support group for all the people in receipt of the carer support package. The support group would meet online, allowing people in similar situations to meet up and talk about things others may not understand.

The support I get means I don’t have to worry about explaining the impact of being a young adult carer on my studies to my lecturers, and the financial help means there’s less strain at home.

The University also provides bespoke visits to carers who may not be able to make it to the usual open days. At these visits, support can be discussed, and a campus tour and contact with the relevant Academic Departments can be arranged by contacting the University.

If you get in touch with the University in advance, they can provide a peer mentor who can help with any questions you may have before your arrival.   

When I am at University, I am far away from my family. This doesn’t mean I don’t have some caring responsibilities, like playing online with my brother when my mum needs a break. And my brother still needs supervision so that my mum can keep herself well and make sure she is not getting too stressed out. Providing this support and worrying about my family isn’t something I can turn off. However, the support I have gained from the carer support package has been extremely helpful, and I often recommend university support packages like this to my young carer friends back home. 

If you have any questions about the University of Chester's carer support package, you can email studentexperience@chester.ac.uk.